


You're the Thing That's Right (In the World Full of Wrong)

by gay_relations



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, auau, but still very gay, this is very au-y, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2020-10-05 06:09:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 62,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20484155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_relations/pseuds/gay_relations
Summary: "Yeah, they are..." Alyssa said thoughtfully. “It was the most natural transition from friends to more that I’ve ever seen. The day they told me they were dating it just made all the sense in the world. If only we could all be that lucky, right?”“I’m sure you have a line of girls waiting to date you.” Emma said. There it was again. Another thought escaping her mouth without permission. What was with her tonight?“I guess I just haven’t found the right girl yet,” Alyssa hummed, tilting her head slightly with a wistful look in her eyes. As if pulling herself out of her own thoughts, Alyssa jolted her head upright and refocused. “What about you? Haven’t found the right…”“Guy yet? No.” Emma rushed, almost embarrassed. It was mostly true anyways. She really hadn’t ever put much effort into dating. It was just never a big priority for her. She always justified it by saying she was too focused on school or too young for anything serious. But she really hadn’t ever met a man she wanted to pursue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! This one is gonna be a journey. That's all I got for now.

_So this is Edgewater, Indiana? _ Emma thought to herself as she bounced along in the passenger seat of a beaten down old pick up truck. She had yet to see one paved road or traffic light, but the town certainly had no shortage of corn or cows. She wasn’t sure why it surprised her. Just because she was born and raised in New York didn’t mean she’d never left the city before. She was well aware that not everything was skyscrapers and subways. It’s just that this town was so… stereotypically midwestern. She was shocked that her ride actually had four wheels and a cab rather than four legs and a buggy. 

It was nice, though, to finally see the place she heard so much about the last seven years. Her best friend Shelby had told so many stories about her and Kaylee’s time growing up here and everything was suddenly making more sense. 

“Thanks again for picking me up from the airport. Two hours both ways is a long way to travel.” Emma sincerely said. 

“Oh anything for my Shelbs!” Kevin replied, flashing Emma a charming smile. “Plus, I know it means a lot to both of the girls that you could make it out for the engagement party.” 

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!” That was true for two reasons. The first being that Shelby was her best friend and she wanted nothing more than to celebrate with her. The second was that she knew Shelby and Kaylee needed all the allies they could get being back in this small hicktown. “It’s so crazy to think she’s getting married. I remember when we first met our freshman year at NYU. I’d never known someone with such a wild spirit!”

Kevin chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Shelby. She’s gotten me into plenty of trouble in our time.”

“I bet. You two have pretty much known each other your whole life, right?” Emma inquired.

“Pretty much, yeah! She was my first girlfriend and first love. I got really lucky. Brains, beauty, and brawn all in one! I truly don’t think I would’ve graduated high school without her.”

Emma smiled. She loved hearing what Shelby was like before they had met. “Oh great, so she’s always been perfect?”

“I hate to report it, but yes.” 

The two laughed together, swapping stories about Shelby as they made their way to the party. 

//

As the truck drove down the gravel driveway lined with “K&S” shaped balloons, Emma was awestruck by the house. It was two stories laid with brick and had a porch that wrapped all the way around. There were huge windows covering the front of the house that gave Emma a glimpse at the pink and gold party decorations waiting inside. In the open back yard was a gazebo, adorned with fairy lights and overlooking a large pond. Emma had never seen a more beautiful property in her life. 

When they reached the front door, Kevin opened it, not bothering to knock and simply leading them in. Waitstaff were hurrying around setting up food and decor and Emma was so busy checking out the spiral staircase and marble flooring that she missed which direction Kevin had gone. She wasn’t there long though before she heard an excited squeal and was nearly tackled by an excited Kaylee Klein. 

“Emma! Thank goodness you’re here! Shelby has been freaking out all morning and she could use a distraction.” Kaylee squeezed her tight as she spoke.

“Good to see you too, Kaylee.” Emma breathed out, voice slightly strained from the death grip Kaylee had on her. “What is she freaking out about?”

Pulling back, Kaylee let out an exasperated sigh. “She claims it’s just about the party going smoothly, but I know it’s about her parents. They’ve taken a while to come around to everything and she doesn’t think they’ll actually show up today. Or worse: they will just to critique it all.”

Emma frowned, looking around. “The place is immaculate. I’m not sure they could find something wrong even if they brought in the worlds best investigator. Seriously, Kaylee. Your house is amazing. Where is Shelby now?” 

“Upstairs getting ready. You can drop your bags off in the first room on the left and find Shelby in the last on the right. I’m gonna stay down here and make sure everything is running on schedule. I’m really glad you could make it, Em!” Kaylee leaned and placed a friendly kiss on Emma’s cheek before chasing after a staff member carrying apparently the wrong flowers, if Emma heard Kaylee’s frantic yelling correctly. 

“Hey, Kaylee?” Emma caught her attention one last time before she rounded the corner. “Congratulations!”

The worry washed out of Kaylee’s face and was replaced with elation. “Thank you, Emma!”

Making her way up the stairs, Emma made certain not to touch anything. The house was impossibly pristine and Emma was worried if she breathed too heavily it might tarnish the perfectly white walls or that if she touched the banister oil from her fingers could ruin the wood. Wiping her hands the best she could, she grabbed the door knob and walked into the room where she would be staying. It was simple but elegant with a king size four poster bed, two night stands, and a dresser. It had a closet on one side and a jack and jill bathroom on the other and she made a note to find out who was in the adjoining room. Her favorite part by far though was the glass doors that led out to the upper porch, overlooking the backyard. 

Remembering she had more pressing matters at hand, Emma quickly set her bags down before retreating back to the hall and making her way to Shelby’s room. The door was closed when she got there and she could hear vigorous Spanish flowing through the door. _ Uh oh…_ Emma took a deep breath before she knocked gently, announcing herself as she entered the room. 

Emma slipped in unnoticed and inside she found Shelby pacing the room in her bra and underwear, hair wrapped up. She was alternating her hands between fanning her armpits and gesturing wildly as she spoke to a girl who was idly scrolling her phone in the corner. Even after seven years of knowing Shelby, Emma still could not pick out enough words of Spanish to make sense of what she was saying. In Emma’s defense, Shelby usually only spoke her native tongue when she was in hysterical states as such or, according to her fiancé, in more intimate settings. 

“Shelbs?” Emma finally spoke, unsure what else to say until she got her friends attention. It was enough to cause the brunette to stop in her tracks and turn towards her. Shelby’s entire body relaxed as she made her way towards Emma. She wrapped her arms around her friend, letting her weight and troubles fall into her. Emma put a reassuring hand behind Shelby’s head and held her close. “Hey, hon, it’s okay. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

Shelby took a deep breath before letting it out and pulling back in Emma’s arms. “Thank goodness you’re here, Em. Everything is a mess.”

“Well, from what I saw before I came up, I know that can’t be true. The place looks incredible! What’s really going on, Shelbs?” Emma inquired, comfort and concern coating her face. 

Shelby’s eyes drifted off before she spoke. “It’s my parents. They RSVP’d for the party today but I haven’t heard from them and I can’t help but feel like they won’t show up. I know about their hesitation with the wedding in general but I was really hoping that after all these years they’d come around…” She was cut off by a silent sob. 

Emma brought a hand up to her friends cheek. “Oh Shelby. Even if they don’t show it, your parents love you so much. I know it’s hard, but at the end of the day, this is about you and your fiancé and the love between you two. The only people who should be here today are those who support you 110%. If your parents can’t do that, it’s their loss.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. Ugh, I know you’re right. I guess there’s just this small part of me that’s hoping they’ll come around. I just keep seeing my future in-laws and how involved they are - hell this whole party is their doing - and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but it just hurts.” Shelby admitted, barely above a whisper. 

“I imagine. But I’m sure they’ll come around eventually. Especially once they see how happy you are at the end of all of this. It just may take them some time.” 

“Yeah, that’s what Alyssa said too.” 

“Alyssa?” The name sounded familiar and there was something about it that piqued her interest. She must’ve heard of her in stories or something. 

“Oh that’s right you two still haven’t met. I’m sure you’ll meet her later today. She grew up with all of us as well and when she came out to her mom, it took time for her to come around too. Now they’re closer than ever. That could happen for me too, right?”

Emma hurt seeing how small her friend looked at this moment. Today should be one of her happiest and here she was, worrying about her parents approval. Emma leaned forward and placed a sympathetic kiss on the future bride’s forehead. “It absolutely can happen. But until then, we’re just gonna focus on you and your smokin’ hot future wife.” 

Shelby chuckled and wiped away tears from her eyes. “She is super hot, huh? Thanks, Emma. I feel much better. You don’t have to hang around and babysit me. I promise I’m okay now.”

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, worry still dripping in her tone.

“Yes. The only thing I’m more sure about is this: Emma, will you be my maid of honor?” 

“What?” It wasn’t the graceful response she would’ve chosen but she was completely caught off guard by the question. Of course Shelby was her closest friend. It probably shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise as it had yet here Emma was, just slightly more dumbstruck than she was touched. 

Shelby smiled brightly and grabbed Emma’s hands. “I have an actual proposal for you planned and Kaylee will flip if she knows I threw this on you, but I just couldn’t wait to ask. Say yes? Please?” 

Emma had a lot of questions and concerns. She’d never been in a wedding party before and she certainly didn’t know one thing about organizing a wedding. While other girls had started planning theirs when they were five, Emma could simply never get on board. When she tried to picture her perfect day, it was blurry and unclear and she chalked it up to being too focused on other things. Plus, she lived several states away. Surely that would be a problem with maid of honor duties right? But Shelby was looking at her with big hopeful eyes and all Emma could say was, “Of course, Shelbs, it would mean the world to me!” 

// 

As she showered, washing off the grime she always felt after a long day of travel, she let herself be excited in the safety of the shower. _ Maid of Honor,_ Emma mused. Shelby could have picked anyone. She was so easy to get along with and certainly didn’t have a shortage of friends. 

The two had been paired up as roommates their freshman year and it was without a doubt the best thing to happen to Emma. They didn’t click right away. They were both so different back then. Emma was shy and modest; a devout rule follower. Shelby was loud and wild and working through a lot with her new freedom. But soon their fights turned into dialogues and frustration turned into understanding. Once they embraced each other’s differences, they found they had a lot to learn from each other. 

Emma had always known how important Shelby was to her and being asked to be her maid of honor was comforting validation that maybe she meant just as much to Shelby. 

She let all of her excitement wash away in the shower and reminded herself that nobody was to know just yet before finishing getting ready for the party. Looking through her suitcase, she grabbed a plain blue dress and slipped it on. Frowning, she checked herself out in the mirror. It slumped over her body doing nothing for her figure but it fit fine, she supposed. She dried her hair quick, styling her usual curls and put on some mascara and chapstick before giving a shrug of approval to her reflection and heading downstairs. It was still a little early for guests to be arriving, but she figured this way she could help with any finishing touches.

Of course when she arrived to the party area, everything was complete and perfect.

//

The party was off to a great start. The older guests (aunts, uncles, grandparents) arrived promptly at 5, and the rest (cousins, friends, coworkers) rolled in by 6. Emma still hadn’t spotted Shelby’s parents, but the bride-to-be seemed to be distracted enough by the rest of her support system. She still had cousins and aunts and uncles show up and Emma hoped it was enough to keep her spirits high. 

Emma hardly recognized anyone at the party. Apparently she was the only one from their NYU days who could make it. She figured everyone else must either be childhood friends or family. Even the people that looked familiar ended up only being so from pictures on social media. She quietly observed the guests, playing her own game of guessing how they were connected to the party. 

There were two things she quickly learned while she mingled. The first being that, she should avoid this one guy at all costs. He was loud and obnoxiously good looking, made worse by the fact that he definitely knew he was attractive. Her gut told her to stay away from him if at all possible and for now she decided to just call him Hair Gel. The second thing was that whoever this Alyssa Greene was, she was absolutely adored. If she had made a drinking game of all the times someone commented on the girl, Emma wouldn’t make it an hour more.

Although she wasn’t necessarily shy, not like she used to be before she met Shelby anyways, she still decided that a drink couldn’t hurt so she made her way to the open bar, slipping a tip in the jar and ordering a gin and tonic. The drink was strong, which would explain the wink the bartender gave her as he handed it over, but the alcohol burn felt almost soothing in her throat. 

With her drink in hand, she wandered around the gathering area, admiring the decorations. It was cute but classy and fit the couple perfectly. There were mini desserts all embellished with “K&S” in some manner or another. Emma smiled as she reached a board that was covered with pictures of them both as children. Her my wandered to how cute their future child might be. A warmth filled her chest at the idea and she couldn’t help but think “Auntie Em” had a nice ring to it.

“Emma! Hey!”

The blonde turned around to find Kevin, accompanied by two other guys, waving her over. He was wearing a suit and a tie and she had to admit it was a much better look than the old t-shirt and ripped jeans she saw him in earlier. Kevin introduced the other two as Greg and Nick. “Hey! Nice to meet you both. So you two grew up here as well?”

“Yeah, we did. The six of us were practically inseparable through high school.”

“Six of you?”

“That’s right. Us three, Shelby, Kaylee, and Alyssa too.”

There was that name again. She stirred her drink, trying not to come across too excited as she inquired further. “I keep hearing about this mysterious Alyssa.”

“Yeah, she should hopefully be here soon. She had to come all the way from New York. I just ran into her mom who said her flight was delayed so she’s a few hours behind.” 

Emma hummed, scanning the crowd. The more she heard about her, the more curious she became. 

Conversation carried on, the three boys recalling an array of stories from their childhood. The other two guys seemed just a kind as she found Kevin to be and Emma was happy to just listen and not stress about contributing to the conversation. Nick was in the middle of a story about the time the six of them had bought an old school bus at an auction and were turning it into Edgewater’s newest party venue when...

“Well hello there,” came a voice she unfortunately recognized, making her flinch. She turned around to find Hair Gel standing there with a smug smile on his perfectly sculpted face. “These guys aren’t bothering you, are they?”

Emma suppressed an eye roll and instead put on a deathly sweet voice. “No, _ they _ aren’t bothering me at all. In fact we _were_ having a nice time.” 

The boys stifled chuckles at the obvious annoyance in Emma’s voice and the complete obliviousness of the man. Emma knew it wasn’t fair to judge him based on appearance and a brief interaction, but something in her gut was putting up her defenses. 

“Well that’s fortunate. I’d hate to have to take care of them in your honor. I’m Luke by the way.” He extended his hand. 

“My honor and I are doing just fine on our own but thank you.” Emma smiled brightly, making sure not to so much as look at his still extended hand. She waited a beat, expecting him to leave, but instead he stood his ground. She sighed, shaking his hand twice before dropping it. Finishing off her drink, she continued. “It’s nice to meet you, Luke. I’m going to go grab another drink but maybe I’ll see you around.” 

“Whoa, hold up. I’ll come with you. This one’s on me.” He finished his sentence with a terrible wink.

“It’s an open bar. They’re all free.”

“Sure, maybe the drinks are free but this guy sure isn’t.” He pointed his thumbs at himself. 

“Are you implying that you’re a-“

“Hey, Luke! You’re Kaylee’s cousin, right? I think our families camped near each other one summer.” Greg stepped in, shooting Emma a look that very clearly screamed _ run_. Emma quietly thanked him as she slipped into the crowd.

After she got her second drink, which she swears was stronger than her first, she was just about to find the happy couple when she heard a steady _ clink clink clink_. Emma’s eyes searched for the source and she found Kaylee with a glass raised and Shelby by her side standing near the bottom of the stairs. The crowd hushed and everyone turned their attention to the two girls. 

“Hello, friends and family! First off, I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone who could make it out here tonight! This is such a special and joyous occasion and it means the world to us that you would all find time in your busy schedules to be here.” Kaylee smiled at Shelby, grabbing her hand. “I’d also like to give a very special thank you to my parents, who were generous enough to plan this gathering. You’ve been an absolute rock for me my whole life and I can never express how much it means to me that you never hesitated to do the same for my Shelby. I love you, mom and dad!” She gestured her glass in the direction of her parents, blowing a kiss along with it. 

Shelby picked up where her fiancé had left off. “Yes, thank you so much! Your continued support and generosity means everything. We love you so much! I’d like to also add a special thank you to my best friend, Emma, who has already been a crucial part in keeping me together. I almost feel bad for eating all your cheese sticks freshman year and denying it every time you asked.” The crowd laughed and Emma shook her head and mouthed and _ I knew it._ Shelby laughed too and held out a hand while Emma moved forward a few steps through the crowd to grab it. “Seriously, Em. You’re the best found family a girl could ask for.” 

Emma thought she saw tears in Shelby’s eyes, but that could just have been an illusion caused by the ones definitely forming in her own. She was just so proud of her friend for keeping it together despite the continued disappointment from her parents. Emma smiled and gave an understanding nod as Shelby squeezed her hand. 

Shelby quickly wiped at her eyes before continuing. “Alright, enough talking! Shall we get this party started?” She raised a bottle of sparkling wine and the crowd cheered while she tore off the foil and start to untwist the wire. Emma watched as she gave a tug at the cork, increasing her efforts while it failed to budge. She tried again before passing it to Kaylee, who also failed to open the bottle. The girls were in a fit of giggles and the party began to laugh too. 

“Alright, Emma, if you can open this you officially have to move in with us and be our brawn.” Kaylee laughed, handing the bottle over.

A smile broke out on Emma’s face as she wiped her hands on her shirt before gripping the bottle. She felt oddly nervous, which was silly. This wasn’t some sword in the stone. Although this crowd might argue it was even more important, as it was the only thing standing between them and the rest of the celebration. 

Besides, it wasn’t like this was her first time opening bubbly. She remembered hearing at a gathering once that the secret to opening these types of bottles was not to pull the cork, but twist. So she started the motions, being sure to not add in that extra pressure but just let nature take its course. It had worked fool proof for her in the past. Twist, don’t pull. 

What they didn’t tell her at the time was to not let herself get distracted by the entrance of an enigmatic stranger.

It happened at full speed and slow motion all at once. One minute she was focused on her task and the next, the door was opening and revealing the most entrancing human Emma had ever seen in her life. 

She was wearing a black blazer over a white T-shirt that fit her nicely and was tucked into black skinny jeans. Her heels were tall enough that Emma was sure they would trigger her own fear of heights had she worn them herself. Her hair was brunette with perfectly wild curls and looked impossibly soft. But the thing that truly captured Emma’s attention was her smile. It was bright and full and genuine and enough to distract Emma to the point that her grip slipped on the cork just as the pressure released, sending it flying.

Flying in the same direction as her gaze. 

Flying right into the face of the newest arrival.

A silence swept over the audience as the woman knelt over, hands covering her face. Emma stopped breathing altogether, completely immobilized. She prayed that if the God she spent her whole childhood worshipping was real, he would come through for her now, striking her down and putting her out of her misery. 

She felt a bolt of electricity shoot down her spine and for a moment she thought the big man came through. Then she realized that it wasn’t actually a divine act of god but rather her body reacting to hysterical laughter coming from Emma’s latest assault victim. Her eyes grew as the girl straightened up, hand still covering a portion of her face and gasping for breath between laughter. “That’s some aim you got there, blondie!” 

“Oh my god, I am so sorry. Are you okay? I swear that’s never happened before.”

“I guess that makes me special then.” The brunette winked her good eye at Emma, causing a blush to rush the blondes face before Alyssa extended her hand. “I’m Alyssa, by the way.”

“Emma.” She responded, returning the gesture.

Kaylee ran over, placing a reassuring hand on Alyssa’s shoulder before speaking. “Hey Alyssa! Are you okay? Emma, why don’t you go with her to the kitchen and help her put some ice on that? There’s some ibuprofen in the cabinet above the sink if you need it.” 

Emma still had a firm but gentle grip on Alyssa’s hand, staring like a deer in the headlights. Alyssa giggled before nodding her head in the direction of the kitchen. “Shall we?” 

Coming to her senses, Emma pulled her hand back as if some wild animal had snapped at it before leading them to the kitchen. Alyssa took a seat on a barstool while Emma moved around the kitchen grabbing a bag and filling it with ice. She wrapped it in a paper towel before taking a seat next to Alyssa. “Can I?”

“Of course.” Alyssa answered, moving her hand for Emma to inspect the swelling on her cheekbone.

“Oh god, Alyssa, I’m so sorry. This is awful.” Emma continued to apologize desperately.

“Honestly, Emma, don’t sweat it. I’ve been hurt a lot worse by girls not even half as cute as you.” Alyssa assured her, smiling softly at the blonde.

Emma’s face grew warm and her stomach flipped in an unfamiliar manner that had her questioning the last time she ate, which she quickly remembered was less than an hour ago. She decided to try and shake off the feeling and instead brought a hand up to the red mark on Alyssa’s face, gently rubbing her thumb around the area. She didn’t realize how close they were until she felt Alyssa’s breath warm on her face and suddenly the low buzzing in her was back again. _ Alcohol. It must be the alcohol._ “Do you, uh, want some medicine for the pain?” she asked as she tenderly placed the ice over the swelling. 

“I’m okay, thank you. Really, it looks worse than it is. You’re sweet though, Emma.” Alyssa said, squeezing Emma’s arm before bringing her own hand up to take over. 

As Alyssa’s hand glided over her own and their fingers brushed, Emma decided that she really ought to switch to water. “I’m glad we finally got to meet. I’ve heard a lot about you, Alyssa.”

“Ahhhh. That explains the greeting now.” Alyssa teased, motioning to her face.

Emma laughed. “Yeah right. Everyone here couldn’t adore you more. I half expected you to fly in wearing a cape.” 

“I usually do but it just didn’t go with this outfit.” 

“Ah, a sixth fashion sense. What else do your super powers include?”

“Based on the cork to the face, I think we can rule out bullet immunity.” Alyssa chuckled while Emma groaned, burying her face into her hands. Alyssa brought up two fingers to her forehead before continuing. “I do have telepathy though.” 

“Oh?” Emma said, gulping nervously. 

“Yes. I can hear your thoughts loud and clear.” Alyssa raised one eyebrow at her. 

Emma felt a rush of nerves throughout her body but was unsure as to why. Alyssa’s gaze weighed heavily on her and she felt her heart rate speed up. She knew the brunette couldn’t actually read minds. But even if she could, what was she so worried about? 

As if she suddenly only knew one word, Emma repeated, in a slightly higher pitch, “Oh?” 

“You’re wondering if I’m ever gonna let you live this down.” 

Emma let out air she didn’t even know she had been holding. “I don’t need superpowers to know it’s not gonna be anytime soon.” 

“Maybe if you weren’t so cute everytime I teased you about it I wouldn’t be so tempted.” Alyssa shrugged. 

Emma felt her cheeks warm again and she was almost unable to believe how effortlessly charming Alyssa was. She didn’t think the girl could live up to all the hype yet here she was. Emma had never been so drawn to a person before and she was almost mad at Kaylee and Shelby for not introducing them sooner. “That’s fine, but you’ll have to explain to Shelby how her maid of honor died of embarrassment.” 

As soon as the words left Emma’s lips she wanted to take them back. Shelby has asked her to keep one secret and it hadn’t even been three hours before she ruined it. She had a feeling Alyssa could get her to confess anything though. Because of the alcohol, of course. 

“Maid of honor? Congratulations, Emma!” Alyssa said excitedly. 

“Please don’t mention it to anyone. Shelby wasn’t supposed to ask me yet and she doesn’t want Kaylee to know.” Emma explained.

Alyssa laughed in response. “Secret for a secret?” Emma nodded. “Kaylee asked me to be her maid of honor before she even proposed to Shelby. And I was also sworn to secrecy.” 

It was Emma’s turn to laugh. “God, they really are perfect for each other, huh?” 

“Yeah, they are…” Alyssa said thoughtfully. “It was the most natural transition from friends to more that I’ve ever seen. The day they told me they were dating it just made all the sense in the world. If only we could all be that lucky, right?”

“I’m sure you have a line of girls waiting to date you.” Emma said. There it was again. Another thought escaping her mouth without permission. What was with her tonight? 

“I guess I just haven’t found the right girl yet,” Alyssa hummed, tilting her head slightly with a wistful look in her eyes. As if pulling herself out of her own thoughts, Alyssa jolted her head upright and refocused. “What about you? Haven’t found the right…” 

“Guy yet? No.” Emma rushed, almost embarrassed. It was mostly true anyways. She really hadn’t ever put much effort into dating. It was just never a big priority for her. She always justified it by saying she was too focused on school or too young for anything serious. But she really hadn’t ever met a man she wanted to pursue. 

“Well, when you do, he’ll have to be pretty spectacular to keep up with you.” Alyssa smiled, placing a hand on Emma’s arm. 

Something about the tender touch and sincerity in tone had Emma entirely believing the girl she just met. 

“Hey guys, you’ve been in here a while. Everything okay? How are you doing, Alyssa?” Shelby asked, approaching the brunette to inspect her face. 

“Good! Emma’s taken great care of me.” Alyssa answered, beaming at the blonde whose cheeks were now a light shade of pink. 

“She’s pretty amazing, huh?” Shelby said before smirking at Emma. “Ya know, most girls wouldn’t even bother patching someone up after shooting a cork in their face. So chivalrous of you, Em!” 

Alyssa and Shelby laughed as Emma groaned for what had to have been the tenth time that night, but most likely wasn’t the last. “Don’t you two have a party to get back to?” 

As Emma followed the still giggling girls back to the gathering, she smiled to herself, more excited than she imagined she would be about being apart of a wedding.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess we're still doin this!

**6:49 am**

The next morning Emma woke up to a dull headache. Placing a hand over her head, she rolled over to find a glass of water with two pills beside it and a note that read “Assuming nothing has changed, I figured you’d need this! -Shelbs”. 

Emma really had stopped drinking after the cork incident, but she notoriously never balanced it out with enough water to stay hydrated so it didn’t take much to leave her hungover. She also infamously slept like a rock, which would explain how Shelby was able to sneak in unnoticed. Now that she thought about it, that was a bit worrisome considering she lived alone. Maybe she should get a dog. Mentally thanking her friend, Emma took the medicine and finished off her water before leaving the bed and heading for the bathroom. 

Even when she wasn’t dealing with a minor hangover, Emma was not a morning person. She never had been. Her grandma would always tease her that even as a baby she would stay up late and sleep in late. If she wasn’t grumpy about having to leave the warmth and comfort of her bed she was cursing her brain for failing to function properly before 9 am and lots of coffee. 

It’s the latter that she chose to blame as she rubbed her heavy eyelids and opened the bathroom door to find Alyssa Greene standing at the other end of the bathroom, wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt that went mid thigh as she applied her makeup. She had completely forgotten about the joined bathroom. “Oh shit, sorry!” Emma’s hands flew to cover her eyes that were grazing toned legs of their own accord as she felt her cheeks grow warm. 

Alyssa chuckled. “Good morning, Emma! You don’t need to cover your eyes. It’s not like I’m naked.” 

“I know you’re not.” Emma managed, lowering her hands but keeping her eyes anywhere but below Alyssa shoulders. 

“Geeze, I’d hate to see how you would react if I was then.” Alyssa mumbled as she slipped back into her room. 

Emma let out a sigh of relief before making her way to the sink and splashing cold water on her face. She wasn’t sure why she was so alarmed by a hardly half naked Alyssa. Sure, she could try and blame it on her sleepy state but it wouldn’t explain the feeling that occurred deep in her stomach. A horrible thought ran through her mind and she did her best to ignore it and push it down. Her best friend was marrying a woman; she obviously didn’t have a problem with women who liked women. Besides, she’d seen Shelby in much less clothing than that before and it didn’t bother her then. There had to be some other explanation. 

A soft knock came from Alyssa’s door before she called through, “Can I come in?” With Emma’s permission, Alyssa entered the bathroom. “There. Better?”

Emma’s attention was drawn back to the brunette who was now gesturing to her change of clothes. The blonde swallowed hard as she took in the sight of Alyssa now donning grey athletic shorts and a tight lilac tank top. Somehow it _wasn’t_ better. Tearing her eyes from the smooth skin and defined collarbones, Emma grunted something incomprehensible before returning back to her morning routine. It was far too early for this. 

Alyssa must’ve picked up on Emma’s distaste for mornings, because she didn’t try and talk to her again as they moved around getting ready for the day. Instead, she quietly hummed a tune Emma didn’t recognize but was enough to make her smile before her morning coffee and she couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. Feeling in a better mood, Emma finally spoke up. “So, are you ready to kick some ass today, Greene?”

Alyssa’s face lit up as she turned to face Emma. “Hell yeah, Nolan. The others aren’t gonna know what hit them.”

In order for the bridal parties to get to know each other, Kaylee and Shelby had planned a day of “team building”. They thought it would be a good opportunity for everyone to meet and bond with each other before being thrown together for wedding planning. Emma personally found it all a little silly at first, but after learning who else would be there, she was actually pretty pumped for the days events.

“Speaking of, we aren’t supposed to know certain things either.” Emma reminded Alyssa. “We have to act like we know nothing about being maids of honor.” 

Alyssa laughed. “Oh please, I acted like I was straight for the first 16 years of my life. This’ll be easy. The real question is if _you_ can pull it off?”

_Well, I’ve been acting like everything is normal all morning so…_ “Yeah, I think I’ll be okay.”

//

The summer sun beat down hot on Emma and she prayed her 100 spf sunscreen would be enough to protect her pale skin. It was barely 9 in the morning as the two brides and their respective wedding parties all gathered in their backyard, dressed in various athletic wear. Standing amongst them were all mostly familiar faces. All the boys were there (Kevin, Nick, Greg), the girl that had been in Shelby’s room when Emma found her the day before, a girl who looked like a slightly younger Kaylee, and, to Emma’s disappointment, Luke. 

Shelby was rummaging through a trunk near the gazebo while Kaylee began greeting them far too enthusiastically for Emma’s liking this early. “Good morning, everyone! First off, Shelby and I would like to thank you for joining us here today. You are all some of the closest and most important people in our lives and we wouldn’t be here today without all of you. We are so excited that you all agreed to be in our wedding parties! Although some of you know each other already-“

“Some a little too well,” Shelby interrupted, shooting the boys a pointed look.

“We thought, since you traveled all the way for the engagement party, we’d go ahead and have a day of fun and bonding!”

“Whoa, I don’t think I’m comfortable with bonding in front of my cousins.” Luke said, throwing his hands up. 

“Bonding, not bondage you idiot.” Shelby called out over her shoulder and Emma could hear the eye roll in her voice. Alyssa snickered next to her and Emma found herself smiling too.

“I knew that…” Luke tried before turning to Emma. “Although I wouldn’t mind bonding with you.” 

The words sludged Emma’s body and she suddenly felt the need for a nice sterile shower. She instinctively took a step backwards and comforting hand found a place low on her back. Her body eased when she looked back to find Alyssa’s tender smile, before returning her attention to the bride.

Kaylee had a smile on her lips and daggers in her eyes as she stared at Luke. Shelby made her way over to the group holding two stacks of shirts, one royal blue and one blush pink. She went around, handing out specific shirts to specific people. Emma held up her blue shirt. The front said “I Do Crew” and the back said Gonzales-Klein at the top with a 20 underneath. The pink shirts were the same except the front read “Bride Tribe”. 

Once everyone had a shirt, Kaylee went around the group and made everyone introduce themselves and how they met the brides. Emma listened to the boys say their names and give up made up scenarios in which they met the girls. By the time Nick said “prison” they each had earned a swat at the head from Shelby. Luke talked for a minute about himself before finally getting around to being Kaylee’s cousin. Shelby also had a cousin in her party, Gabriella, and the last girl introduced herself as Katherine, Kaylee’s little sister. Based on the shirts, Emma concluded that Shelby’s party consisted of herself, Gabriella, Kevin, and Greg while the other four were Kaylee’s bridesmaids.

During the brief break to put on the new shirts, a low chatter started to build as Kaylee tried to finish her instructions. “Now if I could just have your attention one last time then we can… Please, guys I’m almost done… If you could just split… Guys, come on-”

A sharp whistle sounded through the air, stunning the crowd into silence. Shelby walked up next to Kaylee and let the whistle fall from her mouth to place a kiss on her fiance's cheek. She gave a pointed look as she spoke. “I believe my future wife was still talking.” 

“Thank you, baby.” Kaylee said, smiling brightly at Shelby. “Now, if you all could split into two teams according to shirt colors, we can let the games begin!”

The group shuffled around, still lacking the enthusiasm Kaylee was so desperately trying to pour into them. Shelby shot Emma a pleading look. As much as Emma wanted to fight it, she instead reminded herself that Shelby chose her to be maid of honor, so she took a deep breath before plastering a smile on her face and clapping her hands together. “Okay, guys, this is gonna be fun! Let’s go team!”

“I like the positive attitude, Nolan!” Alyssa smirked at Emma from where her team was gathered. “You’ll need it when we beat you.”

“Oh is that so, Greene? Can we get that on the record? It’ll make it so much more satisfying when we win.” Emma responded, unsure where the sudden burst of confidence came from.

“Game on!”

The fire in Alyssa’s eyes intimidated Emma to no end, but whatever confident, competitive spirit that had suddenly possessed her body wasn’t allowing fear to show. Rather, she turned to face her team, taking in what she had to work with. Emma herself wasn’t exactly athletic. Kevin and Greg weren’t bad, but she couldn’t spot an aggressive bone in their body. And Gabriella? She had checked out the second Kaylee greeted them. 

Alyssa’s team on the other hand had already made up their own chant. The four in pink shirts were huddled, jumping up and down, and all Emma could see was toned muscles and inevitable defeat. 

Groaning silently to herself first, she turned to face her team. “Alright, I Do Crew, bring it in!” Emma extended her hand out and was met with blank stares. She targeted Greg, figuring he was the weakest of the three, and bore her eyes into him until he finally obliged and placed his hand on top of Emma’s. The other two followed suit. Counting to three, they threw their hands into the hair, Emma yelling “Go team!” while the rest mumbled incoherent phrases. 

Whatever happened with the events, Emma would consider that a success of its own.

//

The games went almost just as Emma predicted. Tug of War didn’t last long before the I Do Crew was on the ground getting covered in dirt. They came back strong in the scavenger hunt though, being able to solve the riddles faster than the Bride Tribe. The third event found them trying to carry water from one bucket to another. It was actually a much closer game to Emma’s pleasant surprise. The blue shirts patience came in handy and if Alyssa didn’t move like a gazelle, the I Do Crew may have won. 

They were at the final game for the morning and Emma had a small flicker of hope for her team to win. They would be finishing with a relay race of sorts where each lap had a different challenge to it. For this particular event, Shelby and Kaylee assigned the order in which everyone would run. 

First up were Luke and Greg, who had to complete their lap on roller skates. Flailing around for the first few seconds, it was clear Luke had never worn skates in his life. It wasn’t long, though, before he realized he could instead just run in the skates, but the hindrance still allowed Greg to get a decent lead before passing on the baton to Gabriella, who would be racing against Katherine, hopping their track in sacks. Still not interested in the games, Gabriella quickly lost their advantage as Kaylee’s spunky sister soon passed her.

As Emma watched Alyssa wildly cheer for her team from the sidelines, Kevin hobbled up next to his teammate wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume. “You really think we can do this?”

“I would like to see us at least try.” Emma’s gaze stayed on Alyssa, who gave a smirk before squinting her eyes in a playful manner. 

“Ah. I get it now.” Kevin laughed and Emma’s attention snapped to her teammate. “Greene’s got to ya.”

So what if she wanted to beat Alyssa? Their rivalry was only in jest. It didn’t have to mean anything, right? 

Emma sighed. How was she supposed to convince Kevin of that if she didn’t entirely believe it herself?

“I- no. That’s not- I just know how competitive Shelby can be and I think it would be cool if we could win. For her.” Emma stammered, praying her cool confidence would return. 

“Sure, Emma. Whatever you say!” Kevin said before waddling over to the starting position. 

Emma and Alyssa made their way over as soon as Kevin and Nick took off and watched as the grown men stumble through the course dressed as T-Rexes. 

“Ya know, this isn’t even the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen those boys do.” Alyssa thought out loud before smiling gently at Emma. “I’m really impressed by how well your team is doing.”

“Thanks, Alyssa. They really stepped up, huh?”

“Yeah, because of you.”

Emma’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“They didn’t just suddenly have a change of attitude. These people who have only known you for 24 hours? They did it for you. That’s pretty amazing, Emma. You’re pretty amazing.” Emma blushed furiously at the compliment but before she could try and deny it, Alyssa added with a grin, “It’s too bad I’m gonna beat you for the last leg of the race though.”

Emma watched dumbstruck as Alyssa climbed onto her Big Wheel. Pulling herself together, she mounted her own tricycle and waited for Kevin to pass the baton. He had secured a bit of a lead for them so all Emma had to do was maintain it and they would win the relay race. After he handed the yellow stick over, Emma took off pedaling as fast has she could. The tricycle was comically small and the ridiculousness of the situation was not lost on her. 

As Emma rounded the last curve, she spotted Alyssa catching up to her out of the corner of her eye. She was too close to lose now so she hunched down and put everything she had into going faster. When she made eye contact with her competitor, the brunette’s eyes grew wide before she broke out into a fit of giggles, laughing so hard that her Big Wheel tipped over. Emma took controlled breaths to keep herself from the same fate and made it over the finish line. To her surprise, the rest of the I Do Crew was waiting for her, jumping and cheering. 

Once they had finished squeezing her, Emma broke out of her huddle to find Alyssa still on the ground. She extended a hand to help her up. “Great race, Alyssa.”

Still fighting off laughter, Alyssa took Emma’s offer, pulling herself up. “It sure was something. Your team deserved it, Em! Sorry I laughed. This whole thing has just been so insane.”

Emma chuckled now too. “It really has. I didn’t expect to have so much fun today.”

“And the day isn’t even halfway over. Shall we head in for brunch?” 

Alyssa raised her eyebrows at Emma, who glanced down at their still connected hands before letting them fall. “Yeah, I think we all deserve a mimosa or three.” 

//

There was a huge shift in the atmosphere at brunch than there had been that morning. As absurd as the games might’ve been, nobody could deny they did as the happy couple intended. Everyone was lively, chatting and mingling, laughing about events. 

Alyssa had insisted Emma sit next to her and she certainly didn’t object. Conversation between the two flowed so naturally. Emma felt like they had known each other for 24 years rather than 24 hours.The two talked about New York and places they both frequented, discovering that they had a shared coffee shop they both loved. “God, I go there probably two or three times a week. We’ve probably passed each other several times and didn’t even know!”

Alyssa shook her head and laughed. “No, there’s no way we’ve crossed paths before.”

“You don’t think it’s possible?”

“I _know_ it’s not possible.” Alyssa said, so certain, so sure.

“How?” Emma asked, curiosity taking over.

Alyssa tilted her head and smiled gently at the blonde, hooking her index finger and tenderly running the back of it across Emma’s cheek for a moment as she answered. “I could never forget a face like that.”

Emma couldn’t hold back the shy smile that spread along with her blush. She knew she should respond, but her brain ceased to function and she couldn’t figure out how to reboot it. Emma knew she was right though, because she could never forget Alyssa either. She was rendered speechless at the realization of what an impression Alyssa had made on her and that it may even be mutual. 

Luckily she doesn’t have to find words because Kaylee and Shelby were now grabbing the two girls attention from where they sat on the other side of the table. Shelby started up first. “Emma, Alyssa you two have played an extra important part in our story. When Kaylee and I went from friends to lovers, you two stepped into the role of best friend for each of us.”

Shelby smiled to Kaylee, who took over. “You were there for us as we navigated a strange new time in our lives and supported us as we started it all out long distance. It would’ve been near impossible without you both.” They handed each girl a box. “It wouldn’t feel right without having you two standing up there as our Maids of Honor. So, will you say yes?”

As Emma opened the box to find a ring pop, she felt Alyssa’s leg brush against hers with intent. When she looked over, the brunette shot her a wink before turning towards the brides. Emma watched as Alyssa clutched at pearls that weren’t even there. “Kaylee, oh my gosh, yes of course!” Kaylee reached across the table to grab Alyssa’s hand and Emma had to hold back laughter at how committed the two were to the act. 

Forgetting she was also supposed to be keeping up her own charade, Emma found all three girls now looking at her, each with a very different emotion. Kaylee’s was one of anticipation, Alyssa’s was one of amusement, and Shelby’s was slowly turning into one of murder the longer Emma let the silence sit. “Oh, uh, yeah! It would be an honor, Shelbs. A maid of honor.”

Kaylee looked between the pathetic look on Emma’s face and the mortification on Shelby’s. “Emma… Did Shelby already ask you?”

“What? No. Did she ask me? Just now, yes. Earlier? No.” Emma stammered, dragging out vowels much longer than a normal person might.

Considering Kaylee wasn’t born yesterday, she turned to Shelby with dull outrage on her face. “Shelby, we were supposed to wait!”

“I know, baby, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…”

Kaylee’s face softened before grabbed Shelby’s face and kissed her forehead. “I asked Alyssa before too. Actually, I asked her before I even asked you.”

Emma held her breath, waiting for a cue as to what to do next. It came in the form of the couple laughing softly before Alyssa and herself joined in. The four got up to exchange hugs before the brides left the girls alone again to, as Shelby put it, “get a plan together”.

“What does that even mean?” Emma asked Alyssa once they were alone again. “I’m not gonna lie, Alyssa. I’m pretty out of my element here. I know next to nothing about weddings and even less about what we’re supposed to do as maids of honor.”

Alyssa rested her hand reassuringly on Emma’s thigh. “Don’t worry. It’s really not much. Our main jobs are to plan the bachelorette parties, support them through the stress of the big day, and of course make sure we don’t hook up at the wedding.”

Emma choked at the last phrase. “Why would we-”

“Emma, it was just a joke. Ya know, the cliche that the best man and maid of honor hook up?” Brown eyes searched through hazel, and Emma found herself yearning to know what they were looking for.

“Right, yeah.” Emma said, doing her best impression of someone who was super chill.

“Maybe that’s why they picked us. Gay best friend and straight best friend lower the odds of that uneccessary drama, huh?” Alyssa mused, her gaze still resting gently on Emma’s visage. 

Emma looked down at her drink, idly swishing the water around in her glass, a habit she formed over the years to avoid uncomfortable conversations in social settings. “I guess.”

“Besides, I know Luke has his eye on you and I’d hate to come between true love.” 

Emma’s face scrunched up at the thought and she looked up to a sly smile on Alyssa’s lips. “Oh god, if those are my options, I guess I’m going to be a cliche.” Emma isn’t sure who looked more shocked by her statement, herself or Alyssa. Warmth swarmed her ears and Alyssa’s raised one eyebrow. “Sorry, I just meant-”

“Luke isn’t your type?” 

Emma’s eyes wandered over at the lout and when she found him already staring her way, she felt a chill shiver down her spine. And not the good kind of chill. Not like the one she got when she first saw... “Definitely not. I don’t think I really have a type.” 

“Everyone has a type. There’s no commonalities in the guys you’ve dated?”

“Considering I haven’t really dated anyone before… No.”

Alyssa looked at Emma with a soft and narrow expression and Emma longed to know every thought floating through her brain in that moment. Based on the look in Alyssa’s eyes, Emma would guess there were a lot. Normally this kind of attention would make her squirm but there was something about the brunette that Emma trusted without question. “Maybe when we’re back in New York we can figure it out for you.”

The prospect of meeting up with Alyssa back in New York excited Emma. She had friends and coworkers she met up with every now and again, but ever since Shelby moved back home Emma had been missing a certain companionship and her instinct told her a friendship with Alyssa could more than fill that void. “I would really like that.”

//

After brunch, the gang made their way back outside for the second half of the events. This time they would be split into two’s according to who they were walking down the aisle with; the same order that they ran the relay race. Emma was much more eager for these pairings than the first, partly because she knew she would have fun with Alyssa and partly because it saved her from being paired with Luke.

Speaking of whom passed by with a smirk and a wink. “Hey Emma. Too bad we couldn’t team up for this. I promise to go easy on you, though.”

Emma gave sarcastic thumbs up and as soon as he was far enough away, Emma turned to her partner. “Alyssa?”

“Yeah, Emma?”

“I don’t care if we win, but we have to beat him.”

Alyssa nodded in agreement, mirroring the fire in Emma’s own eyes.

//

The first event was a yard pong tournament. Emma and Alyssa went up again Katherine and Gabriella, quickly eliminating them. The two teams of boys had a much closer game with Greg and Luke ultimately coming out on top. Unfortunately, they kept their streak going and beat the girls quicker than Emma would have liked.

Alyssa put a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Sorry, Emma.”

Emma sighed. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’ve never been good at things that involve balls.”

It wasn’t until Alyssa laughed and responded with “yeah me neither” that Emma realized what she said. Her face flooded with warmth as she calculated how long it would take her to run into the pond and swim far away. 

“I meant like sports. With balls. As props! Oh god.”

Alyssa’s laughter crescendoed as Emma rambled on. “Emma, it’s okay. I know what you meant.” She looked at her for a moment, her nose crinkling while she spoke. “You sure are cute when you’re flustered.” 

Alyssa jogged off to the next event and Emma took a moment to try and shake off this state of demure that she seemed to keep finding herself in that weekend.

For the next game, each pair had to pick one person to be blindfolded while the other talked them through an obstacle course. Alyssa didn’t hesitate to wrap the bandana around her eyes, assuring Emma that she trusted her entirely. They actually did fairly well, but it was not enough to beat Nick and Kevin. Emma doesn’t even remember hearing Kevin say much and wouldn’t be surprised if their years together melded their brainwaves into one.

Having lost the first two events, Alyssa and Emma would have to win the next two if they were to still beat Luke. The four pairs were now lined up for a three legged race and just as Emma’s optimism started to waiver, Alyssa rested an encouraging hand on Emma’s shoulder. “We still got this,” she said before kneeling down to tie the bandana around their ankles.

Emma tensed when she felt Alyssa’s fingers brush her ankle and realized how close this event would make them. She told herself not to think about it but as Alyssa rose, making their sides flush against each other, her brain suddenly forgot anything else existed. A shiver surged through her body as Alyssa slipped an arm around Emma’s waist and whispered, “Is this okay?”

Emma swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

“Okay. It’ll probably help if you…” Alyssa motioned towards Emma’s arm still awkwardly hangin limp between them. 

“Yeah, right.” Emma responded, slinging her arm around Alyssa’s shoulder. 

As Shelby counted down for the race to start, Alyssa’s grip around Emma tightened and Emma’s breathing oddly steady with the action. When the whistle sounded, they took off, steps clumsy at first until they found a rhythm that worked for them. Emma could see Luke and Greg out of the side of her eyes and they were only slightly ahead. “Just focus on us, Emma.” Alyssa reminded her.

And Emma did. She focused on their steps together and how well the two worked down the lane. She focused on Alyssa close by her side, giving her the confidence she needed to believe in them and that they could win. She focused on the bandana, slowly loosening around their ankles. She focused until Luke and Greg were far enough ahead she couldn’t avoid their presence anymore.

“Emma, give me your other leg.” Alyssa said between breaths as they moved, her outer hand held out.

For a moment Emma wanted to ask why, but one look into Alyssa’s eyes and she trusted her entirely. She swung her leg up into Alyssa’s arm and the space they now had in the bandana allowed for Emma to go into what she could only describe as a koala hold onto Alyssa. It was no secret Alyssa was in good shape but Emma never expected her to be so strong. As soon as Alyssa had a decent hold onto Emma, she took off into a sprint, passing Luke and Greg at the last second for them to place first. 

Alyssa spun them once before setting Emma down and they stumbled for a moment before falling over onto the ground, side by side. The two burst into a fit of laughter and Alyssa rested her head onto Emma’s shoulder for a moment. “Alyssa, that was incredible. I can’t believe it. We won!”

Before Alyssa had a chance to respond, Luke stomped up to them, practically fuming from the ears. “That doesn’t count. You two cheated.”

“Our tie never came undone. We didn’t break any rules.”

Luke looked around at everyone as if he expected the others to agree with him, but instead he was just met with passive shrugs from people who clearly didn’t care a fraction as much as he did. Even Greg told him to “drop it, dude”. He huffed like a toddler before storming off and as soon as he was far enough away, the two broke into silent giggles while Alyssa untied their bandana. They stood up, dusting the dirt off their shorts and made their way to the final event.

As Kaylee lined the pairs up, a few feet apart and facing each other, Shelby handed out eggs to each couple. Emma groaned as soon as she realized what they would be doing and looked to Alyssa with doubt on her face. She was met with an uplifting and hopeful expression from the brunette. “We got this, Emma.”

And just like that Emma believed in herself again. Even if this was another event that would require her to somehow summon hand-eye coordination that she severely lacked. 

The first few throws of the egg toss weren’t so bad. Gabriella let their egg fall on the first throw, but Katherine didn’t seem too disappointed about it. The other three groups made it quite a few rounds and were now several feet apart. Emma found that as long as she stayed concentrated on Alyssa and the egg, it wasn’t actually too scary. She was so fixated on them and their motions, though, that she almost missed Nick and Kevin getting eliminated, leaving just the two teams. 

Alyssa gave Emma a knowing nod. They made it this far. They were so close. They just had to outlast the doofy brute and the innocent bystander and victory would be theirs. 

At this point, the tosses were slower and more calculated, both teams taking their time. Luke appeared nervous and Alyssa must’ve noticed too because she began to taunt him, catching her own egg. “Ya doing okay, Luke? You’re looking a little nervous over there.”

“Nervous? Please, I could do this all day.” He responded as his egg landed into his hands.

“I guess we’ll see about that.” Alyssa said, tossing her egg back to Emma. 

Luke scoffed, throwing the egg back to Greg. “You’re going down.”

Alyssa grabbed her egg and and turned towards Luke, watching deliberately as Luke’s own egg flew through the air and towards his grasp. Just as it was about to land, she gave a smirk and slyly remarked. “Funny, your mom told me the same thing last night.”

Emma’s jaw dropped and she watched the egg crush in Luke’s hands as he balled them into fists. She swore she could see the beginning of steam start to fume from his ears but her vision was blocked by brown curls as Alyssa jumped onto her. “We did it, Emma! We won!”

Adrenaline coursed through Emma as their victory sunk in. With Alyssa’s arms now around Emma’s neck, Emma slid her own around Alyssa’s waist, pulling her tight and spinning her around. The blonde’s nose buried into Alyssa’s neck and a whirl of salt and lavender took over Emma’s senses as she spoke against skin. “_You_ did it, Alyssa. Carrying me through the three legged race and then distracting Luke? You were brilliant.”

Alyssa pulled back, her smile absolutely beaming with pride. “I guess I had the right motivation.” 

“Yeah, it was worth the look on Luke’s face.” Emma smirked smugly.

Alyssa chuckled. “Sure, that was nice too. But I did it for the look on _this_ face.” 

Heat rushed to Emma’s countenance as Alyssa’s hand caressed her cheek, a tender thumb stroking along her skin. “Alyssa…”

“We make a really good team, Emma.” Alyssa whispered, tilting her head. Emma thinks she feels Alyssa’s hand firm in its place ever so slightly but she is far too focused on Alyssa leaning in to be sure. “That’s why I’m sorry for what I’m about to do.”

_ Don’t be sorry. _ The response is immediate and Emma is grateful it stayed in the safety of her thoughts rather than betraying her lips - she could only take one betrayal today and she preferred the one that was already in progress. Her eyes darted down to Alyssa’s lips for just a moment and Emma wasn’t sure what had come over her as she found herself leaning in too. Her heart was racing out of her chest and every warning alarm was going off in her brain. She’s not sure if it’s something in the water here or if maybe she just hadn’t hydrated enough while out in the heat. A small part of her thought it was neither, but rather was the magnetism of the brunette standing oh-so-close in front of her. Out of her peripheral she can see Alyssa’s other hand coming up and Emma’s stomach lurched in anticipation of more contact. 

If Emma’s brain function had been working properly, she probably would’ve noticed that Alyssa’s hand continued to rise above her head. She may have even noticed the flash of white in her grasp. And she hopefully would have noticed the mischievous guise playing over Alyssa’s features. 

But her brain was not functioning properly and that is how Emma found herself completely dazed by an egg being smashed into her hair. 

Before Alyssa pulled back, she said, voice low, “Now we’re even for the cork to the face.”

While Emma’s brain began to register what had happened, Alyssa had already started backing up with whimsy playing at the corners of her mouth. Emma’s eyes flickered over to the half full carton of eggs still resting near the gazebo atop of the supply trunk before returning to Alyssa. The brunette’s eyes grew wide and her head steadily began to shake.

“Emma, no. We’re even now. You don’t have to-” 

But it was too late. Emma made a quick dash for the carton while Alyssa took off in the opposite direction. She chased Alyssa around, throwing the remaining eggs at the squealing girl. Some she dodged, some she endured, and some she caught, returning the fire back at the blonde. The two zipped around the yard, their laughter drowning out anything else that might’ve been happening around them. 

Down to the last egg, the girls found themselves at the end of the dock of the pond. Emma had Alyssa cornered, bouncing the last of the ammunition in her hand while she took languid steps closer to Alyssa, who was waving her hands in the air. “What if we called a truce? We have one left. We can get Luke or one of the boys. Really make it count, ya know?”

Emma considered it for a brief moment, but everything in her wanted this to end the way it started: just the two of them. Taking another step forward, she said “Sorry, Greene. This is between you and me.”

“Let me guess. Nothing personal? You won’t enjoy doing this? ” Alyssa said in her best Emma voice while looking behind her as if hoping the dock suddenly grew so she’d be able to step back further as well.

“Oh no, this is very personal and I do plan on enjoying it.” Emma replied with a devilish glint in her eyes as she raised the egg. 

Alyssa’s eyes were locked onto Emma’s hand and her voice was suspiciously calm. “You leave me no choice then, Nolan.”

Before Emma even knew what was happening, Alyssa gripped her wrist and pulled them both into the pond. 

//

The sun was setting now as everyone gathered under the gazebo. Alyssa and Emma sat near each other, wrapped in towels. The cool water had felt nice after their day in the sun and Emma certainly wasn’t complaining about the unexpected dip in the ponds.

“I can’t believe you covered that up all day.” Emma said frowning.

Alyssa shrugged. “I just know how much slack we gave you for it last night.”

“Alyssa…” Emma brought her hand up to Alyssa’s face, fingers brushing over black and blue skin.

Leaning back with a smirk, Alyssa asked, “It’s kind of badass, right?”

Emma sighed heavily. Even though Alyssa had sworn a thousand times that it didn’t hurt and was not a big deal, Emma still felt a pang of guilt in stomach. If she could kiss it better, she would and - _what?_ Shaking some sense back into her head, she nodded and put on her best smile. “Definitely badass. Black eyes are very hot.”

Alyssa must’ve seen through her facade because her face softened while she spoke. “I swear I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt. I’m pretty tough, ya know.”

Emma’s eyes drifted to the toned muscles of Alyssa’s arms. “Yeah, you are.”

“Exactly. It takes a lot more than one cork to take me down.” After a moment; satisfaction began to color Alyssa’s face. “So you think I’m hot?”

“I think you’re impossible.”

“Impossibly hot?”

“Alyssa!” 

//

“Come on, haven’t we played enough games for one day?” Greg groaned.

After dinner, Kaylee had asked everyone to grab a drink and gather once more in the living room. “Hush, Greg. This will be fun. I promise!”

It had been a long day but as tired as Emma was, she was happy they were still going. She’d truly missed this kind of human interaction. Ever since she graduated and started working, she buried herself into her career and without Shelby around to remind her to have fun, she slowly slipped into a routine of work, eat, and sleep. It felt good to play again. 

“Besides, it’s less ‘game’ and more ‘drink’.” Shelby added. “Has anyone here _not_ played Never Have I Ever?”

Kevin’s hand shot into the air. 

Alyssa’s eyes narrowed onto him. “Kevin, we played all the time in high school.”

“I know but it’s so confusing. When do I put a finger down?” Kevin asked, examining his hand intensely.

Alyssa’s face softened into pure adoration for her dim friend. “You put it down if you HAVE done what they say. I’ll help ya while we go. Who wants to go first?”

In a jolly mood from a fulfilling day, Emma volunteered to start, glancing around at the group, deciding what best to start with. “How about… Never have I ever gotten into a fist fight.”

Everyone but Emma, Katherine, and Kevin put a finger down and the group collectively looked at Alyssa who motioned to her black eye as if to say _duh_.

“Sorry, Lys, but that wasn’t a fight. That was an ass whooping. Put your finger back up.” Nick countered.

Alyssa huffed. “Fine, but when I get back to New York I will be telling it my way. I’ll go. Never have I ever cut my own hair…”

They played a few rounds, each one getting sillier and raunchier as the night went on. 

“Never have I ever… Drunk text an ex.”

Everyone but Emma and Shelby put a finger down. 

Kevin snorted. “Shelby, you’ve drunk texted me on several occasions.”

“Not like _that_ I haven’t!”

“Sorry, babe. He’s right. Put it down.” Kaylee agreed with a pleased grin. 

“Stupid technicalities…” Shelby grumbled, eliminating another digit. 

“Wait, Emma…” Luke jumped in. “You didn’t put a finger down either.”

Emma tried to hide her awkwardness with sarcasm. “You’re so observant. It’s because I never have drunk text an ex. That’s how the game works.”

“Yeah, but how have you never done that before? Everyone and their mothers has drunk text an ex before.”

Heat swarmed to Emma’s cheeks. She wasn’t necessarily ashamed of the fact she had never been in a serious relationship before, but she really wasn’t in the mood to bring up now, with all eyes on her, that she didn’t even have an “ex” to text. 

Alyssa subtly placed her hand on Emma’s before intercepting the conversation. “And just how many exes do you have to choose from, Luke?” 

Luke sunk back into his chair as the rest of the guys sounded a low “ohhhh”. Emma’s eyes met Alyssa’s and she mouthed a silent “thank you”.

Shelby tossed a pillow at her cousin. “Gabriella, you’ve hardly gone. What have you got?”

Without looking up for her phone, she said “Never have I ever kissed a girl.”

The majority of the room groaned as they dropped a digit and when Katherine folded in her thumb Kaylee all but shrieked “What?!”

“Ya never know until ya try, right?” She said with a shrug. Although shock never left Kaylee’s face, and from the looks of it Emma wasn’t sure it ever would, everyone seemed satisfied with that answer. “Never have I ever been in a sex shop…”

While everyone moved on with the game, Emma was stuck on what Katherine had said. Not the sex shop bit, but right before that. _ You never know until you try_, she repeated to herself. 

Even though she was there all through Shelby’s sexual self discoveries (sometimes _too_ there for it), she never really considered it for herself. Yet one simple, alcohol induced phrase seemed to raise a veil in Emma’s brain. Or was it her heart? Whatever it was, it was likely just a result of a new town, the girls’ wedding, and too much time out in the sun. It’d be best to sleep on it and revisit it in the morning with a fresh brain. Or at least that’s how she convinced herself to lock the thought up in a little box that she could store deep in the back of her thoughts, right next to the same box that held the earlier memory of Alyssa leaning in, when Emma thought perhaps they would… 

“Emma?” The blonde hummed, snapping out of her thoughts to find Alyssa smiling softly at her. “You still playing? It was “never have I ever fallen in love at first sight’.”

Emma swallowed hard as her finger twitched on its own volition. 

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very special thanks to Cled, who let me yell at them day after day and continues to feed me wonderful and dumb ideas, to my trustful bitches for keepin it real, and especially to Thatonegayone for being an absolute editing goddess amongst other things. And of course thanks to everyone who left kudos and comments and fueled my life fire!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back on my bullshit. Big thanks to Sparkle for dealing with me always.

The next morning Emma eased awake for the first time in a long time. As she rolled over to check the time, she felt muscles tense that she didn’t even know she had. Yesterday had kicked her butt in ways she didn’t realize, but along with the exhaustion and sore body she also gain a great sense of fulfillment and got ready for the day with a lazy smile on her face.

After Emma made her way downstairs, she found Shelby in her scrubs at the kitchen table working on a crossword puzzle with two coffees on the table. Motioning for Emma to sit, Shelby greeted her. “Good morning, Em! How’d you sleep?” 

“Great, actually.” Emma said, as she sat down and took a sip of coffee. It was the perfect drinking temperature and just how she’d like it and she couldn’t help the hum that buzzed at her lips as she drank it. “You always did make the perfect cup of coffee.” 

Shelby grinned smugly. “I am pretty perfect, huh?”

“That’s not even close to what I said.” Emma rolled her eyes but amusement played at the corners of her mouth. “Where’s Kaylee?” 

“Some emergency at their farm a town over. She had to leave early this morning to meet some repairman for some tractor. I’ll never be able to keep up with all she does for her family business. She’s a rockstar.” Shelby explained, complete adoration driving her tone. 

“Oh okay.” Emma let silence fill the room for a moment while she twirled the mug between her hands in slow, idle circles. “And Alyssa?” 

Emma could feel Shelby’s eyes on her but couldn’t bring herself to look. Instead she kept pretending like her coffee was the most interesting thing in the world. 

“She left early to see her mom before heading back to the city.” Shelby leaned back in her chair and Emma dared to glance at her friend. She looked… amused? “She did leave a note for you though…”

Emma silently criticized herself for how fast she lit up. “Where is it?”

Shelby’s lips were tight, as if she was afraid laughter might escape if she wasn’t careful, but the entertainment came through clear in her smile. She motioned to the counter and Emma waited a beat, trying to remember how cool people act, before standing up and strolling over to retrieve the note. On a pink Post-It in neat cursive read _ Em, I’m glad we finally met. Let’s hangout back in New York. -Lys _. There was a number included and Emma fought the urge to grab her phone right away. Instead, she rubbed the note between her fingers before neatly folding it and sliding it into her pocket. 

“It seems like you two got along well.” Shelby said in a way that left Emma feeling like she was keeping a secret. “I’m glad. I have been hoping you two could meet for years now. She would never admit it, but I think Kay was low-key worried you would replace her in Alyssa’s life. I told her that was crazy but it seems like she may have been onto something,” she chuckled. 

A flutter beat in Emma’s stomach. “You know you could never be replaced, Shelbs.”

“Oh I know, and Kaylee does too. Honestly, I am really happy about this! Maybe she can remind you to live a little more and work a little less.” Shelby said, nudging Emma’s shoulder playfully, who smiled shyly and mumbled a thanks.

They enjoyed a comfortable silence as Emma finished her coffee and Shelby completed her crossword. Emma would be leaving soon and there was still one thing she had been wanting to talk to Shelby about. Setting her now empty mug down, she started. “Shelbs? Can we talk about your family?”

Shelby’s grip on her mechanical pencil tightened and if it had been wooden, it might have snapped into two. “What about my family, Em? That they couldn’t be bothered to show up to celebrate the best thing to happen to me? Or that they didn’t even send a warning text? Or a call afterwards to explain themselves?” She breathed a sigh that seemed to hold the weight of the world. “I’m sorry. It’s fine, really.”

“No, it’s not fine.” Emma said, reaching to rest her hand on Shelby’s. “I am so sorry. The way they are behaving is bullshit and you deserve better.”

“I do have better. I have you and I have Kaylee and I have an entire found family. Really, I’m fine. I just want to enjoy this time of my life and not worry about people who don’t worry about me.”

Emma nodded understandingly. “But if you want to talk about it, you know I’m only a phone call away, right?”

“Yes, I do.” Shelby brought her other hand on top of Emma’s and squeezed.

“Okay, good. There’s just one other thing we _need _ to talk about, Shelbs.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re going to be a married woman soon. Please, do your future wife a favor…” Emma said, leaning over slightly to look under the table. “And get rid of the crocs.”

With that, Shelby gave a swift, croc-ladened kick to Emma’s shins. “I will have you know, Kaylee loves my crocs!”

“Sure she does, Shelbs.”

As Emma left the kitchen to go finish packing, she could hear Shelby still yelling after her. “They’re practical, they’re comfortable, they’re _versatile_. You can get them in whatever color you want and customize them with…”

Emma laughed as Shelby’s rant faded out and she thought to herself, _ God, I’ve missed her._

//

Emma generally didn’t mind traveling. There was something comforting about being in an airport, something that felt so otherworldly. Typically, she would even arrive much earlier than necessary, not just because she was always painfully punctual but because she truly enjoyed her time watching the melting pot of people bustling around. 

But today, Emma was anxious to get home.

The weekend had been wonderful and enriching and she wouldn’t have changed a minute of it. Well, except maybe the cork incident but she figured that went without saying. As rewarding as it had been though, Emma was excited to get back to New York and back to her routine. 

A small part of her mind wandered to how Alyssa might fit into it as well. 

It was a bit overwhelming, if she was being honest. It had been a long time since Emma had felt this way about a person but it had in fact happened for her twice before, as a child. Cassidy in elementary school and Taylor in high school. Both girls were instant fascinations for Emma. And with Cassidy… Emma couldn’t really remember what happened. She did, however, remember that when they had abruptly stopped being friends, Emma was left devastated. With Taylor, they’d gone to seperate colleges and lost touch. Emma was shattered, but had luckily met Shelby shortly after. Both times left her in a heartbreak of sorts.

As she stared at the pink note in her hand, she couldn’t help but feel worry bubble up inside her that she could be setting herself up for a similar fate.

Not wanting to overthink it and talk herself out of anything too early, she refolded the paper and stuffed it into her back pocket.

And that’s what lead Emma Nolan to the one regret she’d had in her 25 years of life. 

As soon as Emma had arrived home and got settled, she grabbed her phone to type up a text to send to Alyssa. That’s when she realized the note was lost. As she paced around her now torn up apartment, she scolded herself for not entering the number right away. _God, it could’ve fallen out anywhere._   
She debated retracing her steps but she figured it was probably a tad ridiculous to go to such great lengths for one note. 

Then Emma considered texting Shelby and just asking for Alyssa’s number. It could be that simple. But something in Emma held her back. She thought of the expression on Shelby’s face when they were talking about Alyssa, like she knew something about the situation Emma did not. It left Emma feeling anxious and she didn’t want to put herself in another vulnerable situation by asking.

There was always social media, of course. Emma could easily find Alyssa through Shelby’s accounts and she could send her a message that way. _You can’t just slide into her dms, creep,_ Emma thought, groaning to herself.

If she was being honest with herself, she could probably guess the number in a few tries. She had read the note enough times that she very like had the number memorized. It wasn’t the _worst_ plan, but it still made her feel a bit silly. 

It’s not like she’ll never see Alyssa again. They still had months before the ceremony, which translates to several more opportunities to see other girl. Right. She just needed to relax and be cool until the next time they saw each other.

But what if Alyssa thought Emma chose not to text her? That she didn’t want to meet up with Alyssa outside of wedding planning? What if the next time she saw Alyssa things were different because Emma never reached out?

Emma flopped onto her bed, face first into her pillow, and let out a frustrated moan. She knew the longer she thought about it, the crazier it would drive her so she decided to do some breathing exercises to try to reset her thoughts.

Laying flat on her back and closing her eyes, Emma focused on her breathing and the way gravity was securing her down onto her bed. She let her mind clear for awhile before giving it free reign to wander where it pleased, delighted when it took her back to Indiana, surrounded by her new friends under a bright sun. The laughter echoed through her brain and the jovial faces sent waves of warmth through her body. There was dancing and joking and overall merriment. A smile found its way to Emma’s face as she lived in this little happy place.

But then the bright light of the sun began to fade and was replaced with a calmer twinkle of illumination as stars filled the sky. Emma’s rhythmic jumping altered to steady swaying and, unexpectedly so, the number of people dwindled down to just two, she noticed, scanning around. Herself and…

Alyssa. 

The brunette strode up to her and Emma watched as one of Alyssa’s hands found a place on her hip and the other on her cheek. There was something pulling them closer and as the proximity between them closed, Emma could hear those words again…

_You never know until you try._

Her eyes snapped open, pulling her from the meditative state while her hand reached up to touch her lips that were now tingling.

Shit.

That little box that had been containing all the thoughts Emma had been trying to suppress burst open,the lock breaking, and Emma knew there was no way she was going to keep it contained much longer.

//

Emma Nolan had never been more grateful for the creation of coffee than she was the next morning. She had slept horribly, if she slept at all, kept awake by thoughts she desperately tried to sort and push away, and she knew her appearance showed it as she stood in line for coffee.

The small town of Edgewater had been a nice escape, but she had missed the oddly calming chaos of the city. And she had definitely missed this coffee shop. There was just something simply special about having a place that knew her and knew her order, and as if the universe knew she needed a little extra something to smile about, she found her two favorite baristas behind the counter when she got to the front. “Good morning, Diane!”

“Is it a good morning? Who told you that? I’d like to have some words with them.” Diane said, already putting her order into the POS. She was a smaller woman, probably in her 60’s now, and what she lacked in people skills, she made up for with being damn good at her job. “Your usual, right?”

“Yes please.” Emma said with a polite smile.

“Good morning, cutie!” Sang the other employee, Barton, who was an actual human teddy bear. “Diane, remember not to charge her!”

“Look, I’ve already told you I cannot accept free drinks from you two. It’s very sweet but I insist you let me pay…”

“Yeah yeah, we’re not doing it to be nice.” Diane gruffed. “Someone paid for your drink earlier today.” 

“What?” Emma asked, looking around the shop to see if she recognized anyone 

Barton skipped over to the counter, leaning onto his tattooed arms. “Sooo, when did you two meet?”

“When did who meet? I’m confused. Who paid for my coffee?” Emma asked in a bit of a daze. She definitely did not get enough sleep for this conversation.

“Oh please, like you don’t know.” Barton said incredulously with a roll in his eyes. After a beat, the cluelessness on Emma’s face must’ve sunk in. “Oh you really don’t know?”

Emma shook her head.

“Pretty brunette with curly hair and perfect skin ring any bells?” Diane offered.

Emma’s stomach flipped and her puffy eyes widened. “Alyssa?”

“Ding! Ding! Ding! Ya know, we watch our regulars meet all the time. I’m curious how you two managed to do it away from our prying eyes?” Barton’s eyebrows emphasized his curiosity

“We met this past weekend, actually. Our best friends are getting married and we’re the maids of honor.” Emma explained while she wondered how she could have forgotten their discovery that the two frequented the same joint. 

“Oh wow, just this past weekend? That’s pretty fast. But I guess when ya know ya know, right?”

If one more person said one more cliche to Emma about knowing this or not knowing that, she may explode. “It’s not- I’m not- We’re… friends.”

“Oh.” Barton said and Emma could tell he wasn’t quite convinced. “Of course, sorry. It’s just... “

“Just what, Barton?” Emma said, a new type of exhaustion sweeping over her the longer the game went on.

Before he continued, Diane handed over the drink. “She wrote a message on the cup and it was just so sweet. That’s all.”

Emma spun the cup in her hand until she spotted that same curly writing she’d read a hundred times the day before. _Em, Hope this helps start your morning off right! -Lys_. A soft smile spread across her face as her fingers brushed over the writing, tracing a small heart that had been drawn next to her name. Setting it back onto the counter, Emma asked “Does she normally come in tomorrow?”

When they confirmed that she usually did come in the next day, Emma asked if she could leave cash to pay for Alyssa’s next coffee, to which Diane huffed, “I’m not a damn messenger.”

Handing over a $20, Emma raised her eyebrows pleadingly. “Please? You can keep the change for tip.”

The barista eyed the bill for a second before taking it and handing Emma an empty cup with a sharpie. She messily scrawled _ Lys, Thanks a Latte for the latte. You rock! -Em _ before handing it back to Diane. The woman read the note, looked at Emma, and dropped the cup in the trash. Handing her a new cup, she said, “No puns.” Emma looked at Barton, who scrunched his face and nodded in agreement. 

Sighing, Emma started over. _ Lys, You’re amazing. Thank you. -Em _. She stared at it for a moment before adding her number. When she passed the cup back to Diane, she held her breath in anticipation. She wasn’t sure she could handle having to write a third message. The two baristas read the cup and looked at each other before turning back to Emma and giving nods of approval. The blonde sighed in relief before picking up her coffee and leaving the cafe with a little extra bounce in her steps.

//

Emma didn’t go to the coffee shop the next day. She considered it and a part of her even wanted to, but she knew the anticipation of when, or if, Alyssa would text her would be weighing on her enough as it was and she couldn’t handle any knowing looks from Barton or dry comments from Diane. Especially not after another restless night.

She knew that eventually she would need to acknowledge what she was feeling, and more importantly why it felt so _familiar_. But everytime she began to sort through it, it all felt too much, too heavy, too confusing.

Sighing, she got back to stocking the new releases that had just been dropped off to her music store. There were still thirty minutes before the store even opened and Emma knew it was gonna be a long day, even more so due to the lack of caffeine. She continued through her motions, moving around the store, performing her opening tasks on autopilot. The mindless activity was just what she needed today. 

By the time she made it home, she had reached a new level of exhaustion and she was sprawled on the couch watching the food network when her phone went off. Shooting up, she frantically felt around trying to find where she had set it down and quickly untangled it from a throw blanket. Flashing across her phone was a new text from a number she didn’t have saved but definitely recognized from reading it a hundred times.

Smiling, she opened her phone.

**Unknown Number: Hey. I’m looking for a cute girl with short blonde curls, a great laugh, kicks ass at field games. She bought me coffee and I’d like to properly thank her. **

A blushed rushed Emma’s cheeks as she typed back.

** Emma: Alyssa? **

**Unknown Number: Yes. Damn, how many girls have you bought coffee? Here I thought I was special.**

**Emma: You are**

**Emma: I mean, I only bought you coffee**

**Emma: Well, you technically bought me coffee first**

**Emma: Thanks again by the way **

Slamming her phone onto a throw pillow before she could send another text, Emma threw her head back with a groan, thumping it harder than she intended on the back of the couch and silently hoping it knocked some sense back into her. Picking her device up again, she began to enter Alyssa’s contact info when another text came in.

** Alyssa: Of course. I just know mornings aren’t your favorite time of day and was hoping to make you smile.**

**Emma: Well mission accomplished, Greene. **

**Alyssa: I’m happy to hear that! **

**Alyssa: And I was happy to hear from you. I was worried Shelby forgot to give you the note.**

**Emma: No, she did**

**Emma: I just may have misplaced it**

**Alyssa: That makes sense. I’m sure it’s hard for you to keep track of all the numbers you get. **

Emma read it once. Then twice. She set her phone down, stared at the wall for a moment and then read it a third time. The whole exchange was tipping Emma off balance and she was running out of strength to respond like a person who was completely chill and definitely not fighting off a certain flutter in her chest. Taking a deep breath and giving herself a pitiful pep talk, she grabbed her phone once more.

** Emma: You’re one to talk. How many numbers have you gotten just this week?**

**Alyssa: Only one that mattered. **

Emma groaned again, knowing she was going to need a much more than a pep talk if she was going to survive this. 

//

It had been a week since Alyssa first text Emma, a week of consistent exchanges. There were of course lulls when they were at work or asleep, but otherwise every morning it would start back up wherever they left off the night before. They talked about their favorite movies, books, and shows. Alyssa would send pictures of dogs she’d meet out during her day and Emma would send memes she thought might make Alyssa laugh. Emma had started to become familiar with Alyssa’s coworkers and Alyssa would inquire about Emma’s regulars. Conversation between the two flowed naturally and Emma had never felt so comfortable talking to another person and wondered if it would be the same way face to face.

Alyssa must’ve been wondering the same thing.

**Alyssa: So I was thinking **

**Emma: Uh-oh, one (1) fear**

**Alyssa: Hey now be nice or you won’t get to hear my idea. And it’s a good idea, if I do say so myself. **

**Emma: Okay, okay I’m sorry. Please continue.**

**Alyssa: Thank you. So I was thinking, since we go to the same place every day as it is, what if we went together? Maybe a little early so we could stay a bit and chat? **

**Emma: You were right. That is a good idea.**

**Alyssa: Yeah?**

**Emma: Yeah, Alyssa, I would love to meet you for coffee. 7 good?**

**Alyssa: 7 is perfect. **

Emma smiled shyly at her screen as she typed up a response, her thumb hovering above the send button as she debated whether it crossed a line or not. It shouldn’t be such a big deal, so why did it feel like it? Taking a breath in for courage, she sent the message.

**Emma: Till tomorrow then. Goodnight, Alyssa.**

**Alyssa: Till tomorrow, Em. Sweet dreams! **

//

Emma arrived to the coffee shop a little earlier than 7 and secured a small table near the window. When Barton saw her sitting, he gave her a curious look to which she replied with a bashful smile and a small wave. 

It wasn’t too long after 7 when Alyssa walked through the doors and Emma instinctively stood up. Alyssa was dressed in dark pants and a denim button up shirt and though it was a simple look, Emma still couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. 

While Alyssa made her way over, Emma panicked about how to greet her. Was a hug too much? A handshake definitely seemed to formal. Maybe she should just sit back down and wave. Or perhaps-

Luckily for the flustered blonde, Alyssa held her arms up with a question on her face to which Emma answered with an enthusiastic nod before they intertwined together. Alyssa’s embrace was warm and if Emma could, she would sink all her weariness into it and stay there for hours. 

A shiver ran down Emma’s spine as Alyssa murmured into her ear, “It’s so good to see you.”

Pulling back, Emma agreed. “It’s really nice to see you too. Do you want to save our table and I’ll grab coffees?”

“Oh no, no, no. I invited you. I’m getting the coffee.” Alyssa insisted, looking like she was ready to race Emma to the counter. 

“You can pay next time.”

Alyssa froze for a moment before a goofy smile broke across her face. “Okay, I’ll get next time.”

Emma’s smile dropped when she turned around to find Barton leaning over the counter with his face resting in his hands and stupid smile on his. She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips at him. “Okay, get it out now.”

“What? I didn’t say anything.” Barton feigned innocence.

“Maybe not but you sure are thinking it loudly.”

“I just didn’t know you could wake up before 8 am, that’s all.” Barton said with a simple shrug before mumbling, “Guess all it takes is a cute girl to get you out of bed. Makes ya wonder what else she could get ya out of.”

“Barton!” Emma whispered sternly, her cheeks ablaze. “It’s not like that. Please, can I just pay for our coffees?” 

“Oh fine. I don’t know why you’re fighting it though. She’s definitely into you too. That girl has been coming in most days for over a year now and I have never seen her wear lipstick before.” He said matter-of-factly.

By now Emma could feel the heat reaching the tips of her ears as well. “Really? Wait, that doesn’t matter. We’re just friends. I’m not even… I’ve never… girls.”

Realization slowly dawned over Barton’s face as he spoke slowly. “You never have? Or you don’t at all?”

“Both, I guess?” 

“Huh. That surprises me.” He mused, confusion still knitted in his eyebrows.

“Did you think I was…” Emma couldn’t bring herself to say the word in that moment. She could feel it on the tip of her tongue, standing firm in its safe place. 

“I did. I just got that vibe from you. But I guess I was wrong, I’m sorry.” Barton explained.

“Don’t be sorry.” She rushed out as a bashful smile found its way to her lips. What she really wanted to add was a thank you but she couldn’t explain why so she kept it to herself. After paying for the coffee, she returned to the table. 

Just as Emma suspected, conversation in person flowed just as easily as in text, only better. In person, she got to see Alyssa’s face light up when she talked about her work at the non-profit. She could hear Alyssa’s amusement at Emma’s silly jokes. She was able to feel Alyssa’s fingers on her skin whenever she rested her hand reassuringly on Emma’s. She would smell the occasional scent of lavender shampoo when Alyssa would run her fingers through her hair, flipping it over to the other side. And as she stared at Alyssa’s burgundy tinted lips, she couldn’t help but wonder how she might taste as well. 

Yes, Emma much preferred their meetups to texting and luckily for her they became a recurring event. At first it started out every couple of days but a few weeks later, it was a daily occurrence and easily her favorite part of the day.

Emma was usually the first one there but on one particular day, she had a harder time than usual getting out of bed and arrived five minutes later to find Alyssa already at their table. They greeted each other like normal but when Alyssa pulled back, Emma was met with a concerned expression. “Emma, is everything okay?”

Emma attempted her best smile. “Yeah, everything is great! I just overslept a bit.”

Alyssa squinted at her, examining the blondes face carefully. “Emma, you don’t look like everything is fine. Actually, I’ve been noticing it for a while but I wasn’t sure if I was just looking into this too much. What’s really going on?”

“It’s honestly nothing. I just haven’t been sleeping well. But it’s okay. That’s what coffee is for, right?” Emma tried lightening the mood while she took her seat.

Alyssa frowned, clearly not buying it. “Emma, you don’t have to talk to me about it if you don’t want to, but you know how much I care about you, right? I’m here for whatever you need?”

Between the extreme fatigue weighing down her body and the raw sincerity radiating from Alyssa, Emma had to use what strength she had to hold back the tears threatening to overflow. “Thank you, Alyssa. I think actually would like to talk about it just… not here.”

“Okay, how about my place tonight? I can make dinner and we can talk there? With a little more privacy?” Alyssa glanced around the busy shop with the last word.

Emma sighed. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.”

//

A buzz coursed through Emma’s body as she stood outside the door of Alyssa’s apartment. A part of her was relieved she would finally be confiding in someone and the other part of her was terrified to have to finally acknowledge the battle that had been happening in her mind and in her heart. And she absolutely refused to let herself think about _Alyssa_ being the one to help her work through this. Rather, she reminded herself that Alyssa was doing this as her friend, because although the friendship may have still been relatively new, there was no denying how close they had become in the last month. 

Taking a deep breath, Emma rapped her knuckles on the door. 

The door opened so quickly that Emma had worried for a moment if Alyssa knew she had been standing outside for a few minutes, but her fear slipped away as Alyssa wrapped her arms tight around the blonde. It lingered longer than their usual morning greetings and Emma allowed herself sink into it like she’d been wanting to do for a while now. 

Alyssa gave Emma a quick tour of her apartment, a one bedroom, simply decorated and perfectly Alyssa. It ended with them in the kitchen and Alyssa explaining, “I made pasta. I figured comfort food would be good and it just so happens to be one of the few dishes I can make without horribly messing it up.”

“Cooking isn’t your forte?” Emma inquired, shock coating the question.

“Quite the opposite. Cooking is my downfall.” 

“Well, it’s nice to know there’s one thing you aren’t perfect at.” Emma thought out loud, not missing the blush that the hidden compliment brought to Alyssa’s cheeks. 

“I’m hardly perfect,” Alyssa said, suddenly shy.

“Maybe not, Alyssa, but you are as close as it gets.” Emma replied, a soft expression on her face.

“Thanks, Emma,” Alyssa murmured and Emma almost missed the bashful smile on her lips as she ducked her head down for a moment, almost like she was collecting herself, before returning her gaze to Emma’s. “Shall we eat?”

Alyssa must’ve noticed Emma was still working up the courage to talk, because she turned on a show while they ate. Emma hardly touched her food and gave the excuse of a big lunch, hoping Alyssa didn’t take offense. It really wasn’t awful. Emma’s stomach was just more focused on stress and less on eating. They let the show play on until the screen asked if they were still watching and Alyssa let it stay like that, allowing a heavy silence to fill the air. 

Sensing Emma was having trouble starting, Alyssa grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. “Whenever you’re ready, Emma, so am I.”

“Okay. So I haven’t been sleeping much.” She started, and Alyssa gave a small nod in response. “I’ve been up thinking a lot lately, ever since that weekend back in Edgewater.”

Alyssa gave a light chuckle.”Yeah, Edgewater certainly gives people a lot to think about.”

Emma laughed too, grateful for the quip and instantly feeling a bit less awkward as she continued. “I think it was a whole combination of things really. For a while now. Maybe thoughts I’ve always had? Thoughts that were folded neatly and tucked away, until I shoved one too many into the linen closet and- no closet is a bad word. Is this even making any sense?”

Alyssa’s visage was soft, full of patience and understanding. “It will. Just keep going.”

Emma nodded, took a deep breath, and resumed. “Remember when we were playing Never Have I Ever? And we were talking about… Katherine said ‘you never know until you try’ and it just… It kind of opened this box I’d forgotten existed. And I _don’t_ know because I _haven’t_ tried. Does that make sense?”

“It.. Yeah, I think I’m following.” Alyssa spoke tentatively. 

“I just haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.” Emma said, barely above a whisper.

“About…”

“Kissing a girl.”

Alyssa hummed, waiting a minute, and Emma wasn’t sure if it was to make sure she was finished talking or if it was Alyssa carefully formulating her response. She guessed probably a mixture of both. “Emma, first off thank you for trusting me with all of this. I know what a huge weight this is to carry around all on your own and it means a lot that you chose me to talk to about it. What you’re thinking and feeling, it’s all normal and valid, no matter what your answers end up being.” 

“It’s just been keeping me up for weeks now and I think if I could just… do it, try it, then I’d know and could hopefully sleep again and get back on with my life.” Emma’s voice was weak and in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood she forced a small smile and asked, “Is Craig’s List still a thing?”

“God, Emma, _no!_” Alyssa laughed for a beat before her face softened once more. “Look, I can take you out to a lesbian bar this weekend and maybe you can feel it out then? We’ll have no trouble finding a woman who’d want to kiss you.”

Alyssa’s grip on Emma’s hand tightened and Emma thought perhaps her hand’s nerves were connected to her heart because it suddenly felt tight as well. “Yeah, sure. The weekend. What’s a few more sleepless nights anyways?” 

Alyssa looked at her with a deep compassion before she spoke again, her voice so soft, so quiet Emma hardly heard it, “Unless…” 

Turning toward her with wide eyes, Emma repeated, “Unless?” 

“Well… I’m a woman.” Alyssa stated nervously.

Emma’s eyes wandered, of their own accord, the length of Alyssa’s body in response before she dumbly replied, “Yes you are.” 

“And if it’ll help you sleep at night…”

Worried if she spoke she might interrupt where Alyssa was headed, Emma simply nodded, perhaps more enthusiastically than was appropriate.

“And if it might help clear things up for you…”

All breathing had ceased for Emma as she hung onto every word the brunette was saying.

“I suppose we could… kiss. If it’ll help. If you want.” Alyssa finished, her eyes soft and her eyebrows high in anticipation.

“I do. If you want to. Well, of course you don’t _want_ to. But if you’re offering and you don’t mind, I would really like that. Not like like it. Well, maybe I will. I guess that’s what I’m trying to figure out-“ 

Emma’s stammering was cut off by Alyssa placing both of her hands on Emma’s shoulders, her thumbs tracing back and forth along the expanse of collarbone they rested near and Emma felt her breath slow down to match their rhythm. “Are you absolutely sure this is what you want, Emma?” 

Emma was nodding before Alyssa had even finished her sentence. “Yes.”

“Then yes, if you think it will help then I do want to kiss you.” Alyssa answered, adjusting on the couch so she was angled more towards the blonde.

Emma nodded, mirroring the placement and locking eyes with Alyssa. A shiver shot down Emma’s spine as the weight of the situation settled in. Although Emma had imagined it too many times to count, she still found herself unprepared for what to do next and feeling a little guilty. Alyssa had offered up the idea, but Emma would be lying if she hadn’t been hoping she would, and in that sense it felt a bit unfair to Alyssa. “And _you’re_ absolutely sure?”

“Emma?” Alyssa cooed, using a hand to tuck a stray hair behind Emma’s ear before finding its place on Emma’s neck, fingers stroking gently into blonde tresses. 

“Yes?” Emma managed, breathless from the intensity in Alyssa’s eyes. 

“I’m going to kiss you now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If ya still here, I love you. Thanks for all the kudos and comments!!


	4. Chapter 4

Emma wasn’t sure exactly what she had been expecting. Fireworks? A parade? Some kind of internal explosion? Or maybe static? Disgust? Numbness? 

As Alyssa’s lips pressed gently against hers, she didn’t feel any of those things. In fact, she didn’t really feel anything at all. Emma blinked, watching as Alyssa pulled back with a small frown on her lips. “How… do you feel?”

“Honestly?” Emma looked down bashfully, rubbing her hand on her neck where Alyssa’s hand had just been, not failing to notice that her skin ached for the previous hand instead. “Not much different.”

Alyssa’s head bobbed as she fiddled with the corner of a throw pillow. “If I might suggest something?”

Emma nodded, eyes wide.

“It’s just… It might help if you…” Alyssa gave a small shrug. “Kissed back, ya know?”

“Oh.” Emma hadn’t even realized until that moment that she _hadn’t_ moved a muscle since the second Alyssa started to lean in. The entire time Alyssa was trying to kiss her, Emma was doing her best impression of a statue. In an attempt to hide the embarrassment that was now coloring her face, Emma brought her hand up to her cheek. “God, I’m sorry. You might as well have kissed a wall, huh?”

With a light chuckle, Alyssa lowered Emma’s hand, keeping it in her own as she settled them into her lap. “It’s okay to be nervous, Emma, and we don’t have to try again, if you aren’t comfortable anymore. I can turn the show back on. Whatever you want. This is about you.”

Alyssa had begun rubbing small circles on the back of her hand and Emma felt herself melting further into a puddle of nerves as she started to ramble, “I do, I really do. It’s just, everytime you look at me… God, do you even know how beautiful you are? My brain just stops everything the second you look at me and remember what we’re gonna be doing and… Please, just kiss me again, because I don’t think I’ll be able to stop talking-”

A smile of pure adoration was the last thing Emma saw before she closed her eyes and Alyssa’s lips were back on hers. Emma was ready this time, her lips forming easily with Alyssa’s as they were already parted having been mid-sentence. It was sweet, chaste and lingered before Emma pulled back, her eyes flickering down to Alyssa’s still slightly puckered lips. Emma leaned forward hesitantly, no more than an inch, and as soon as Alyssa mimicked the movement, Emma closed the distance, kissing her once more. 

Alyssa’s hand reclaimed its place on Emma’s cheek and, despite Emma’s nervous state leading up to this moment, she melted into the touch. It was a gentle gesture but enough so remind her that she was with someone who cared about her and made her feel safe. So much so, in fact, that while Alyssa had been the one to initiate the first kiss (per Emma’s wishes), it was made clear that she was letting the blonde take lead on how and where it went. Upon this realization, Emma pushed more firmly into the kiss. 

Alyssa’s lips were so soft against her own, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how right it felt to have them there. Everything about the moment was right.

And that’s when it started. 

Not an explosion or a parade, but a hum. A low buzzing that started in her lips, small and quiet, growing as the kiss went on, building gradually until she could feel it everywhere, echoing throughout her body until it settled in her heart.

Without breaking contact, Emma awkwardly brought her legs under her, pushing up on her knees to gain better access. Her repositioning felt hurried and clumsy in contrast to the smooth, languid caress of their lips moving together. 

Kissing Alyssa was just as Emma imagined it would be yet somehow _so much more_ and her head began to feel light as a consequence. In an effort to try and regain some sort of balance, her hand found purchase on Alyssa’s chest. She was surprised by the rapid pulse she felt beneath her hand and was even more shocked by the drive it gave her to suck Alyssa’s bottom lip between her own. For a moment, she thought she heard a faint moan elicit from Alyssa’s throat, but it was impossible to tell over the pounding of her own heart. 

It should probably have been Emma’s cue to break the kiss, thank Alyssa for her assistance, and move on. That was the pretense for this whole thing, right? A single kiss from one friend to another so Emma could find some sort of clarity and hopefully her sanity? 

But then they were far past one kiss and Alyssa was bringing her other hand up, tangling her fingers into blonde locks, her mouth getting more insistent, all the while the hum in Emma’s body was progressing into an ache and all she knew for certain was she craved more. In an attempt to achieve just that, Emma pressed more determinedly into the kiss as she raised up, swinging a leg over Alyssa, trying to bracket the girls thighs.

Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance and wound up toppling over Alyssa to the stretch of couch beside her, landing on her back. In a last-ditch effort to stabilize herself, her hands reached for Alyssa’s shoulders, resulting in her pulling the other girl down on top of her, where she settled between her legs. Their lips broke apart, barely so, and Emma could feel short puffs of air against her mouth that matched the rhythm of their chests rising and falling together. 

Curly brown tresses curtained their faces as Emma absorbed every detail of Alyssa’s current features. With slightly shaded cheeks, lust blown pupils, and kiss-swollen lips, she was basically the perfect advert for a proper makeout session. The sight did nothing to help with Emma’s urge to lean up and resume where they left off. 

As Emma refocused her gaze from pink to brown, she wasn’t sure which caused more torture: the lips that her mind couldn’t stop thinking about or the eyes that held everything her heart ached for. 

After a minute or an hour, Emma couldn’t be sure in the moment, Alyssa finally spoke, just as out of breath as Emma felt. “How was it that time?”

_ Incredible. Stunning. Life-altering._ “Good.”

“How do you feel?”

_ I feel a lot of things in a lot of places right now._ “Better.”

“So it helped?”

_ No. I suddenly have an entirely new set of problems._ “Yes.” 

“Great. That’s great.”

Emma nodded before silence fell over them again as they stared into each others eyes. There was a shift in the air. It was still heavy with tension, but now it was more tender somehow. Emma’s mind wandered to Alyssa relaxing, laying her head on Emma’s chest so she could play with the wild curls. She imagined the weight of Alyssa’s body on hers, their breathing syncing up. She thought about being able to lean down to place a kiss on Alyssa’s forehead and… 

Suddenly breathing was somehow even more difficult than before and Emma knew it had nothing to do with the weight on her body and everything to do with who was causing it. “Alyssa?”

Still staring intently, Alyssa hummed in response. 

“Maybe we should…” Emma gestured her head outwards as her voice trailed off. 

“Right.” 

As Alyssa pushed up with her hands that were on either side of Emma, her own hips dropped further into Emma’s core and the blonde swallowed hard, adamantly repressing the bolt it shot through her body. Emma closed her eyes tight in an attempt to regain at least a few senses while she waited until she was certain Alyssa was off of her and resettled onto the couch. 

When she opened her eyes, Alyssa was sitting at the other end, angled towards Emma with her back against the arm and her leg folded under her. She scolded her heart for lurching when Alyssa smiled softly at her, tilting her head. The sight was so gentle and tender and Emma had to desperately suppress her desire to wrap her up in her arms and just hold her.

Assuming she hadn’t already made Alyssa too uncomfortable, Emma stood up hastily, ready to make a break for the door. “I should get going.”

“Okay…” Alyssa said before chewing her lip. “You don’t have to though.”

“I don’t?”

“Of course not. We could resume?” 

Emma froze. Was Alyssa really suggesting...

“The show? But if you have to go, I understand.”

“The show, yeah. Right. Let’s do that.” Emma didn’t even bother fighting the blush this time. She figured her face was probably in a permanent state of pink at this point and decided to ride out the embarrassment she felt from thinking Alyssa was actually proposing they continue… their other activity.

Emma took a spot on the couch at the other end, creating as much space between her and Alyssa as she could. It helped some. She could actually feel her brain unfog a bit, making it much easier to see things more clearly. 

Gratitude replaced embarrassment as Emma thought about Alyssa. She was truly one of the best people Emma had ever met. They’d hardly been friends for over a month and Alyssa was already willing to go to great lengths to help her. Then again, Emma would do the same for Alyssa. Actually, Emma would do just about anything so long as it made Alyssa happy. 

Of course a small part of Emma wished Alyssa enjoyed the moment as much as she did, but the most important thing was that Alyssa didn’t hate it, wasn’t disgusted by her. She didn’t kick Emma out, she didn’t criticize the kiss, she didn’t run away crying. Instead, she invited the blonde to stay a bit more.

The show carried on and the tension steadily drained from the air. Alyssa got up to grab them water and it didn’t go unnoticed by Emma that when she returned to the couch, she took up a new spot only inches from the blonde. Handing over a glass, Alyssa broke their silence. “Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really glad you stayed.”

//

Emma got to the coffee shop much earlier than usual. She didn’t plan it that way. In fact, she had left her apartment at the same time she normally did, but her nerves were high again and that resulted in a much faster walking speed. 

Everything was seemingly back to normal between the two when Emma had finally left Alyssa’s place. They never did talk more about it, and why would they? It was made very clear prior to the kiss that it was just a simple demonstration between two friends to help clear up some questions. The fact Emma enjoyed it - a lot - was irrelevant. 

Or at least as far as Alyssa was concerned, it was.

All Emma had to do was be cool and everything would be fine. Okay, maybe “be cool” was aiming a bit high for herself. Act normal, maybe? Surely she could handle that. 

Deep in her thoughts, Emma was startled by the sudden presence of Barton beside her. “Hey buttercup, is everything okay?”

_ Act normal. _ “Yes, why do you ask?”

Raising an eyebrow at her, he answered. “Well, you are here far earlier than normal, your leg hasn’t stopped bouncing since you sat down, and you’re at the wrong table.”

“What?” Emma looked around and was surprised to find that she was indeed at a different table than their usual. “No, I knew that. I just wanted to see what this one was like.” She lied, getting up and taking her place at her normal table. 

“Mhmm. What’s going on in there?” Tapping her head, he tried again.

“Nothing, I just didn’t sleep much last night.”

“You haven’t slept much most nights lately and you’ve never been this off-kilter before. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, but Barton finds out everything with time.” 

Emma rolled her eyes. “Ya know, I was considering telling you until you referred to yourself in the third person.”

Just as Barton was about to respond with what would probably have been a sassy comeback, Alyssa walked into the shop. Emma quickly stood up, accidentally shooting her chair out much farther than she anticipated. 

Alyssa hugged the barista first before leaning over to where Emma’s feet had decided to plant themselves, greeting her similarly. “Hey! Did you sleep better last night?”

“Yeah, I slept great!” Although she didn’t dare look at Barton, she could feel his gaze digging into her in response to her contradictory answer. Keeping her focus on Alyssa, she added, “Thanks again, by the way.”

Alyssa chuckled. “Anytime, really.”

“Thanks for what?” Barton butted in, the amusement in his tone loud and clear. 

Finally looking towards him and his dumb smug face, Emma smiled tightly. “Don’t you need to get back to work? I don’t want to take up all your time.”

“Don’t be silly, I have plenty of time for my favorite customers!”

“It’s a long story, Barton.”

“Really, I haven’t taken my break yet today. I’m in no rush!”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to bore Alyssa with a story she already knows.”

“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t mind.”

“Barton.”

“Emma.”

Alyssa looked between the two with a confused expression on her face. “Emma, why don’t you hold the table and I’ll go get our drinks? Give you and Barton a minute?”

Emma’s expression softened as she turned her attention back to Alyssa. “Yeah, sounds perfect. Thank you.”

Alyssa smiled and reached out to squeeze Emma’s arm gently before she headed up to the counter. The contact sent a shudder through Emma, causing her mouth to drift into a dazed smile. Watching as brown curls bounced away, she started to squat down with the intention of sitting in her chair, only she was far too distracted by the girl walking away that she forgot her chair wasn’t in it’s typical spot.

Emma hit the floor with a thud. 

On her way down, she desperately reached out to the table in front of her but rather than stop her fall, she only brought more attention to it as the table shook and knocked over the items resting on top of it with a _clank_, one loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the cafe, including Alyssa.

Emma was completely mortified. 

Concern colored Alyssa’s face and just as she was about to make her way over, the barista did the first thing that morning she didn’t want to hit him for. “She’s good! I forgot to mop up a wet spot and she slipped a little.” Alyssa didn’t look entirely convinced, but she stayed where she was anyways.

“Thank you.” Emma sighed gratefully as she stood up. Barton replaced her chair back to where she thought it was to begin with and she sat down, successfully this time. “Look, there was just something that had been on my mind lately and Alyssa helped me work through it.”

“Okay…” He said, not completely satisfied. “As long as you’re taking care of yourself, I won’t press you on it. Plus, I do feel better knowing Alyssa is there for you. She’s a special one, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, she really is something else…” Emma mused, watching as even the human grumpy cat, Diane, couldn’t help but smile while taking Alyssa’s order.

With one more knowing look and a waggle of his eyebrows, Barton jaunted off back to work and Emma used the alone time to steady her heartbeat until Alyssa got back to the table. 

It wasn’t long before she returned, handing Emma her coffee and taking a seat at the table. “So… Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just uh wet floor.” Emma said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“That’s so odd, but I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah, thanks. Me too.”

A silence hung over them for a moment before Alyssa spoke again. “Em, if you’re up for it, I’d like to talk about last night.”

Emma swallowed. Hard. “Yeah, sure. What about last night?”

Curiosity flashed over Alyssa’s features for just a moment before they calmed again. “Well, for starters, I’d like to know how you’re doing?”

“Good, I’m-”

Alyssa reached across the table, her own hand finding Emma’s. “Emma.”

Emma’s eyes broke away from Alyssa’s gaze. She wanted to answer Alyssa honestly, but she couldn’t do it while staring into those warm, brown eyes. “I’m… not really sure. I’m still just processing it all, ya know?”

“I do. I just can’t help but remember when I was going through this and I want you to know that it’s completely normal and you’re not alone. And I don’t just mean me.”

“Shelby has enough going on with her family and the wedding and… She doesn’t need any added stress.”

Alyssa modded thoughtfully. “I know she would never think of this as stress, but I understand what you mean.”

“Thank you, Alyssa. Not just for last night, but everything else as well. I’m really lucky to have you. I will be okay and I will talk to someone. I promise.” 

“Okay, good.” Alyssa nodded in a way that seemed more like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone that it was indeed good. “And what about us?”

Emma choked on the first sip of her coffee. “Sorry, it’s just stronger than usual,” she explained, grabbing the sugar. “Us?”

“Well, it’s not every day you kiss your friend. I’d like to make sure I didn’t cross a line? That’s you’re still comfortable?”

Emma stopped for a moment, the shaker hovering above her coffee. She could hardly believe the question. Alyssa was worried that _she_ was uncomfortable? Emma had basically taken a small favor and turned it into one of the most intense almost-makeout sessions of her life and Alyssa was worried that _Emma_ was uncomfortable. “You definitely didn’t cross a line.” 

“Okay, good. And I hope you know that even if you didn’t enjoy it or it wasn’t good, it could be a matter of ‘who’? We can still go out this weekend and find someone else-”

“It was good.” Emma rushed.

“Yeah?” Alyssa asked, almost eagerly. 

“Really good. I mean, I really liked it.” Emma reassured her.

Something flickered in Alyssa’s eyes, something so fleeting that if they hadn’t been Emma’s favorite subject to study as of late, the blonde mind not have noticed it. Even still, Emma couldn’t be sure what it was that she saw. Relief, maybe? Or thrill? _ Lust _ , small voice inside of her hoped. God, what Emma would pay to know for certain… 

She was brought out of her thoughts when Alyssa responded with a quiet “Good. Me too.” 

_Plop._

The sugar shaker slipped from Emma’s grip, falling directly into her coffee. Emma gasped as hot liquid splashed onto her and then again as Alyssa swiftly responded, dabbing napkins over Emma’s shirt, her hands leaving Emma’s skin warmer than the coffee had. Emma rushed a “thanks” as she rapidly pushed her chair backwards.

Luckily most of the spill landed on Emma’s shirt, leaving not a lot to be cleaned off the table. She stood up, grabbing the coffee-soaked napkins to throw out on her way to get a new coffee. 

“Girl.” Barton greeted her at the counter. “I’m trying to be cool, but what the heck happened between you two? You can hardly look at her without forgetting how to function.”

“I… already told you. Nothing happened between me and Alyssa. It’s just… Remember that thing she helped me with? Well, I just wanted to know what it was like to… God, this sounds so stupid out loud… I just wanted to know what it was like to kiss a woman and- ”

“Oh my God.”

“Barton, please it’s not like that…”

“So you two didn’t kiss?”

“Well, no we did, but-

“Oh. My. God.”

“Only because I asked her too.”

“_Oh my god?_”

Emma dragged her hands down her face, stopping so the tips of her fingers pressed against her mouth. It was for the best that she didn’t say anything else until she fully thought it through. After taking a moment to recollect herself, Emma spoke calmly. “I can’t talk about this now because I have to spend the next hour with her and I need what little sanity I still have for that, but we can meet up later? It would actually be really nice to talk to someone who isn’t… just, someone different. If you want to?”

One of Barton’s hands grasped at his chest as the other reached out to grab Emma’s hand. “I would love that.” 

Emma wrote down her number and handed it to him with one hand and held out her other to receive her new coffee. 

“Oh no ya don’t.” The barista said, pulling the coffee back out of Emma’s reach. “I’ll bring it to the table for you.”

“Barton, I told you we would talk tonight and I meant it.”

“I’m not doing it to snoop, I’m doing it to help. Honey, I love you, but your track record today isn’t the greatest and I don’t want to have to make a third coffee for you because Alyssa breathed and your brain gave up again.”

Emma’s jaw dropped at the complete call-out, before she realized that, as much as she hated it, he was probably right, and made her way back to the table empty handed.

//

Emma had let Barton decide where they met and didn’t think to look up anything about the address he sent her. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but a poorly lit stairwell was not it. Taking a deep breath, she descended into the darkness, reaching a door and entering through.

Unlike the entrance suggested, the bar itself was quite elegant. The furniture was an assortment of love seats and big arm chairs, none being clones but still matching well together. A bar was off to one side of the room and at the far back was a beautiful baby grand piano eliciting calm music. It wasn’t overly crowded, but there were enough people around that it wasn’t awkward. 

Emma easily spotted her friend and made her way to join him. She was relieved when he didn’t immediately start asking her about Alyssa. Instead, they talked about their work days for a bit, both venting about what ridiculous things their customers did that day. After they both had a drink and had properly winded down, Barton asked, “Can we talk about Alyssa now?” 

Emma nodded and dove right into explaining everything, from the first time the two even met all the way up till that morning at the coffee shop. Normally all that rambling would make Emma feel anxious or rude or both but Barton was literally on the edge of his seat and Emma was grateful to have someone removed from the situation to talk to.

Barton was uncharacteristically quiet when Emma finished. “So?”

“So…” Barton nodded, still processing all the information Emma had just dumped on him. “You have feelings for Alyssa.”

“What? No, I don’t I just...”

Barton laughed for a moment before his expression shifted. “I can’t tell if you’re… Oh you are serious, aren’t you? Emma, did you like kissing her?”

Her stomach flipped just at the mention of it. “Yes.”

“And you enjoy spending time with her?”

“Of course, it’s the best parts of my week.”

“And if she proposed you two spending time together, let's say dinner for example, and then afterwards maybe there was more kissing, would you be into that as well?”

“I…” Emma paused while everything her friend just said fell onto her. “I have feelings for Alyssa, don’t I?”

“Yes, I think you do.”

Emma groaned. “B, what am I gonna do?”

“Well, for starters, don’t panic.” He replied, a sympathetic smile on his face. “But you got to talk to her, Em. Otherwise this is gonna keep draining you.”

“Ha, okay sure I’ll just _talk_ to her about it.” Emma said, punctuating it with an eye roll. 

“Why is that so crazy?”

“Because I already know how it’ll go. ‘Hi, remember me? The friend that already guilted you into kissing her? Well, turns out I really liked it and I really like you. Wanna catch a movie later? No? You actually are uncomfortable now and never want to see me again? Okay, I understand. See ya at the wedding!’ A perfect plan. Literally nothing could go wrong.” 

“God, don’t ask her to the movies for your first date, that’s horrible. No wonder she hypothetically turned you down.” Barton teased. Emma was clearly not amused, so he continued. “Okay, okay. In all seriousness, she would never be uncomfortable. Besides the fact that we already know she likes women, she’s also far too mature and kindhearted for that to happen. You two are friends if anything, remember? But honestly, from what it sounds like and what I’ve seen, she’s into it too. Just because _she_ isn’t literally falling over you-”

“I hate you.”

“-doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel the same. Trust me, Em. It will be okay, either way, but you have to say something because it’s obviously eating you up. And wouldn’t you rather have Alyssa be the one e-”

“Okay!” Emma cut him off. “God, Barton, okay I’ll talk to her just please don’t finish that sentence.”

A smug look took over his features and he threw his hands up, as if he were innocent.

As terrifying as the thought was, Emma knew he was right. She needed to tell Alyssa how she felt before things got even messier. Pulling out her phone, she shot Alyssa a message and almost instantly got a reply.

“Okay, we have plans for Saturday. I’ll talk to her then.” She updated Barton before adding, “And thank you for this. You’re a good friend.”

“Anytime, Emma. Just please, don’t ask me to kiss you too.”

Emma crumpled up her napkin and threw it at his head, hoping it was enough to distract him from the smile she couldn’t deny. For the first time that day, she truly believed everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for all those who are reading and especially those who kudos and comment. You are all the best and ily.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is still happening. You can thank Fives for this chapter. And of course my Sparkle, who had to put up with my changing how this chapter went like ten times. Love you, Sparkle!

The time between when the plans were made and that Saturday night both crawled at a snail's pace yet flew by in a way that Emma doubted even the world’s best physicists couldn’t explain. Whatever serenity Emma gained from her talk with Barton was thrown out the window as sat in that same bar, waiting for Alyssa to arrive. She had hoped the environment might provide a similar calmness to the one she felt those few days ago, but she was severely wrong. Her heart was racing in anticipation of the conversation to come and the various ways it might conclude.

Needing a distraction, Emma turned her attention to the other patrons. The first thing she noticed was the demographic switch. When she had come with Barton during the week, it was mostly friends and coworkers, grabbing a drink on their way home. Apparently, on the weekends, this was the perfect place for couples. Specifically, gay couples. 

Emma’s stomach flipped at the realization and a sort of exhilaration ran through her. She hadn’t planned for them to meet up in this setting, but she also wasn’t complaining. In fact, a small part of her revelled in how right it felt.

Her nerves began to shift, anxiety melding with excitement. She was about to ask the most amazing person she’d ever met, who she was utterly enamored with, out on a date. And if her heart and mind weren’t actually playing tricks on her, said person was most likely going to say yes. Emma’s body was buzzing as a familiar warmth spread through her, one that became quite frequent ever since she met Alyssa. She knew she probably looked insane, sitting alone in the dimly lit, romantic room smiling like an idiot.

Alyssa’s sudden appearance in the bar tested the reach of Emma’s grin, breaking new records. She sprang from her seat, standing up and observing with awe at how beautiful Alyssa was, even dressed simply in a chambray shirt tied at the front. Bouncing with each step, her hair looked extra voluminous and her lips were painted a distracting red, as if Emma wouldn’t have enough trouble keeping her eyes off them already. 

Emma watched as Alyssa furrowed her brows and scanned the room. Even with her face scrunched, she looked impossibly adorable and Emma couldn’t help but imagine a situation where Alyssa was hers to go place kisses on the crease that appeared on the brunette’s forehead when she got so focused. When she finally spotted Emma, Alyssa’s entire demeanor changed and soon pure happiness was radiating from her smile as she made her way over to the blonde. 

The two met in an affectionate hug, Alyssa’s arms wrapping around Emma’s neck as Emma’s hands found purchase in the middle of Alyssa’s back, one between her shoulder blades and the other lower. As the embrace went on, Emma felt Alyssa’s arms tightened slightly, like she was afraid to let go. Emma responded in like by pressing more firmly, bringing their bodies impossibly closer. Although she was caught off guard by the intensity of the hug, she certainly wasn’t going to object. 

When Alyssa finally withdrew, she let her hands drag from Emma’s shoulders, down her arms and squeezing the other girls hands once before releasing them to take a seat. Emma sat down as well, smile still in full affect. “Thanks for meeting me, Alyssa.”

“Of course. It’s nice to see you outside of the coffee shop or-” 

“Nervous breakdowns?” Emma interrupted, her grin more nervous than enthusiastic now as she pulled at the lobe of her ear. 

“-wedding planning.” Alyssa corrected before she rested a comforting hand on Emma’s. “But I’m glad I could be there for that too.”

Emma nodded. “I’m pretty lucky to have you, Alyssa Greene.”

Alyssa’s eyes widened along with her smile for a brief moment before easing once more. “The feeling is very mutual, Emma Nolan.”

Increasing jolts of electricity shot through Emma’s body as their gaze into each others eyes lingered, only breaking when Alyssa’s eyes dropped for a moment. Emma couldn't take it anymore. She had to tell Alyssa how she felt and she had to do it now. 

And she was going to.

Until Alyssa’s gaze left Emma’s lips and their eyes met once more. This time they read differently, tragic almost. Emma felt her words catch in her throat as Alyssa retreated back into her seat. A chill ran through Emma’s hand where Alyssa’s had previously been. All Emma could do was watch as she cleared her throat before speaking. “I’m actually glad you invited me here tonight. I have something I wanted to talk to you about too.”

“Oh, okay. Why don’t you go first.” Emma managed, voice weak as she tried to decipher where this was going. 

“Okay,” Alyssa started, nervously fidgeting with her hands. “I‘ve been thinking a lot about the other night - that night - and I just wanted to say... I’m sorry.” 

Emma’s heart dropped. Of the many ways Emma imagined tonight going, this was not one of them. She blinked a few times before asking, “Sorry for what?”

“For taking advantage of you. You were in a very vulnerable state and you needed a friend more than anything and I let my own feelings get in the way of that.” 

“I’m...“ Emma could hardly process what she was hearing. “You didn’t take advantage of me.” 

“This moment in your life should be all about you, Emma. And I took that away from you by listening to my heart rather than my head and I’m so sorry. But I promise, from here on out this is all about you and your journey. I will be there for you, every step of the way, as your friend. Any questions you might have or feelings you want to discuss, I’m your girl.” Alyssa said, the sincerity in her voice clashing with the sorrow etched in her features. 

Emma found herself speechless yet again. It was becoming an annoying habit of hers lately whenever Alyssa was around. In her defense, her brain got caught on the words “heart” and “feelings” and “I’m your girl” and all other processing got backed up. “Okay…”

“Are we.. do you forgive me?” Alyssa’s voice cracked in desperation and her eyes were impossibly bigger than usual.

“Alyssa, you have nothing to apologize for. I wanted you to kiss me, remember?” Emma responded, eyes darting away.

“Only after I suggested it first.” Alyssa countered. 

“Which was only after I had been thinking about it for weeks.” 

Alyssa’s jaw dropped before she quickly recovered, slipping back into her collected demeanor that Emma always had a hard time reading.

“I mean…” Emma tried before sighing. “I just mean to say you have nothing to feel bad about. I wanted it to happen. Probably more than you.” 

“I doubt that.” Alyssa all but whispered before she sighed. “I just can’t help but feel like I did this all wrong and I just don’t want to confuse you more than you probably already are.”

Emma had to hold back a laugh, because she probably now was the most confused she had been during this whole situation. But she didn’t want to tell Alyssa that and make her feel any guiltier than she clearly already was. Besides, she brought up a good point. Emma hadn’t really thought about how this all might have happened if Alyssa wasn’t in the equation. Was that even important though? Did it really matter that she figured things out on her own, without any potential distractions? 

Emma wasn’t sure how she felt about that word. Of course Alyssa was a distraction. How could she not be? She was beautiful and charming and utterly captivating. But the word seemed to have a lingering negative connotation, a harsh contrast to anything she’s ever felt in regards to Alyssa. Why shouldn’t Emma be distracted by her? What could she possibly be missing out on that was more important than Alyssa? She held back a groan as she supposed that’s what she was meant to find out. 

Emma wished she could pause the moment and take the time she needed to properly process this all before carrying out the rest of the conversation. Weigh the pros and cons, consider all possible variations of how she might respond and their consequential outcomes. But she didn’t have that option and she had already let the silence carry on long enough as it was. She spoke, slowly. “So… still friends?”

“Of course.” Alyssa replied quickly as relief washed over her features and her hand reached out squeeze Emma’s arm.

“Cool,” was all Emma could manage at the moment. She figured in any scenario that played out, all she really cared about in the end was having Alyssa in her life still, so the promise of friendship was enough for her at the time. 

“So what did you want to talk about?” Alyssa asked, her usual jovial tone and inflection having returned.

Emma stared at her with an odd envy. Here she was feeling like she’d been hit by a truck and there Alyssa was, seemingly back to normal. “Oh, um, I don’t remember,” she lied.

“Was it about the wedding? I can’t believe how fast it’s creeping up!”

The wedding. Shit. Emma had nearly forgotten about it in all her inner hysteria. “Yeah, that was it. Have you, uh, picked out your dress yet?”

“No, I should probably start looking soon though. It can be such a hassle. How about you?” 

“I haven’t yet either. Is it really that much of a pain? God I know nothing about weddings.” Emma groaned.

Alyssa smiled endearingly and Emma did her best to pretend her stomach didn’t swoop because of it. “I can help with that too! Please direct any questions regarding your feelings or the wedding my way. Oh! I know. Why don’t you come over again next weekend and we can knock some planning out of the way? Eliminate some extra stressers?”

“Yeah, that sounds really great. We can do my place this time. I owe you a meal still anyways.” Emma offered, raising an eyebrow at Alyssa.

“It’s a d-” Alyssa stopped abruptly and cleared her throat. “It’s a plan!”

Emma ignored the way her heart dropped and echoed, “A plan.”

//

“Works been good. So many babies being born, I think the town population doubled over the weekend.” There was a mix of awe and exhaustion in Shelby’s voice as it came through the phone. 

Emma counted back the months in her head. “You guys must’ve had one hell of a fall festival last year…”

“Emma, don’t.” Shelby groaned. “It’s not the worst though. The babies are actually kind of growing on me.”

Emma gasped dramatically. “Shelby Gonzales, you’re getting soft in your old age.” 

“First of all, fuck you - we’re the same age. Second of all, I’m just saying maybe babies aren’t the worst.”

Emma’s tone softened. “Especially one raised by two amazing moms.”

“Our baby would be pretty awesome, huh?” 

Emma heard a soft sigh on the other end of the line and her smile widened as she thought about possibly being an aunt one day. Then she teased, “They really would. Alyssa and I will make sure of it.” 

“Seriously? We haven’t even decided for sure to have a kid yet and you are already claiming credit for you and Alyssa?” Shelby asked incredulously, before her tone changed to curiosity. “Besides, when did you two become such a unit?”

“I, uh…” Emma scrambled for the right words. “Guess those team bonding activities really work.”

“Oh yeah? You two been bonding a lot?” 

“Shut up, Shelby.” Emma rolled her eyes, picturing perfectly the stupid smile that was on her best friends even face a few states over. 

“Joking aside, I think it’s great. I was getting worried about you, Em.”

Emma gave an empty laugh. “Worried? About me?”

“Yeah, Emma, worried about _you_. You’ve been so buried in work since we graduated college. That day of games was the first time I recognized my best friend in months, maybe years.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just the contact phase I went through? ” Emma tried, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Please, stick to glasses. They suit you.” Shelby said, the faint sound of a shudder in her voice. “Really, though, when was the last time you went on a date? Had a little adult fun?”

Emma considered hanging up. She could claim a bad connection. That happened all the time, right? Knowing she couldn’t avoid it forever, she took a deep breath and started the conversation she was hoping to avoid. “Actually, I did kiss someone recently.”

“Emma Nolan, you’ve been holding out on me! Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.”

Emma’s leg began bouncing as continued. “Well, it was… nice.”

Silenced floated through the line for a moment. “It was nice? That’s it? Come on, Em. I need details. Please. I’m finding babies _cute_, remember?”

Emma chuckled, instantly feeling a little lighter. “It wasn’t romantic. More of a… favor?”

“I’m gonna need you to keep explaining, cause you’re making it sound like you paid someone...”

“Okay, okay. I’d just been thinking lately about… Well, about what it might be like to kiss a woman. So that’s all it was.”

“Oh.” Shelby said, seemingly gathering her thoughts. “And you thought it was nice?”

“Yeah, really nice.” Emma sighed. “Maybe the most extraordinary experience of my life.” 

“If you think kissing a woman is amazing, wait till you-”

Emma swiftly cut her friend off again as a blush rushed to her cheeks. “Shelby, _please_. One thing at a time.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Shelby said with sincerity. “Wait, who was it?”

“What?” Emma asked, having perfectly heard her friend.

“Who did you kiss?”

“Oh, who did I kiss?” She repeated, buying a little more time to pick her wording carefully, not wanting to directly lie. “There’s a girl I’ve been hanging out with at the coffee shop lately.”

“But it’s not romantic?”

“No, we’re just friends.” Emma explained, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. 

Shelby hummed and Emma could hear the gears turning in her head. “Why?”

“I’m- why?”

“Yeah, why are you just friends?” Shelby asked again. It wasn’t judgemental or condescending, just genuinely curious. “Is that what you wanted?”

“Well, no. I actually really, really like her. I was going to ask her out properly but… well, I’d rather have her as a friend than nothing at all.”

“And did she say those were the only options?”

“What do you mean?” Emma asked.

“Did you tell her how you felt? Did she say she didn’t want more?” 

“I- no, not technically. She said she didn’t want to distract or confuse me during this… self discovery.” She hated that phrase, but now wasn’t the time to get picky about wording. “She said that before I got the chance to say how I feel.”

“Ah, okay.” Shelby said simply.

“What now?” Emma asked, trying not to get too annoyed, but thoroughly being done with the guessing games.

“Well, it sounds to me like you decided the two of you should stay friends. Her not wanting to get in the way of this or take away from your moment is kind and thoughtful and what a good person would say. It makes me like the girl. But, it definitely doesn’t mean she isn’t interested as well. It sounds like she really cares about you, Em. She’s letting you be in charge of this without any pressure. It’s up to you to take the next step.” 

“It’s just scary. Besides, if she doesn’t feel the same way it’s gonna make things really awkward at the-” Emma caught her words at the last minute and silently cursed herself. “Coffee shop. I’ll still have to see her there.”

“I know it’s scary, Em. Trust me.” Shelby paused and Emma was sure she was thinking back to when she confessed her feelings to Kaylee back in college. “But if she’s as special as she sounds, you don’t want to waste anymore time.” 

“And you don’t think she was right? About doing this for me and not us?”

“Hmm.” Shelby started. “Well, I think if it was just a physical thing, then maybe. But it sounds like you have genuine feelings for her that you can’t ignore. If you don’t tell her the full truth of it all, I’m worried you’ll end up hurting yourself and the process even more.”

Emma breathed for what felt like the first time that week. “When did you get so wise, Shelby?”

“It must be my old age.” She mocked back. 

“Must be.” Emma laughed. “Thanks, Shelbs. I really needed to hear all of that.” 

“Of course, Emma. You know I’m always here for you, right?”

“I do. I love you, Gonzales.”

“I love you too, Nolan.” Shelby said. “Now, tell me more about this coffee shop girl. What’s her name? What’s she like?”

Emma’s heart rate picked up. “Uh, let’s see how our next talk goes, okay? I don't want to bore you with details if it doesn’t work out.”

“Okay, fine. But if it _does_ work out, you have to bring her to the wedding.”

Emma let out a strained laugh before quickly diverting the rest of the conversation to Kaylee, doing her best to steer clear of any more “mystery woman” talk. 

//

“I’m not complaining but… How is this supposed to help with wedding planning?” Emma asked, clearing hers and Alyssa’s empty plates.

“The whole thing is about a wedding.” Alyssa explained far too innocently.

“I know I’ve never seen it but I find it hard to believe that _Bridesmaids_ is going to help me understand my duties any better.” 

“Think of it as... what not to do?” Alyssa said with a shrug. “Look, we needed a way to destress and a comedy was the second best way I could think of.”

“Yeah that makes sense.” Emma agreed before it hit her. “Second best?”

Alyssa gave her a curious look. “Did I say second best?”

Emma nodded quickly. 

“Hmm,” was all Alyssa offered before settling onto the couch. “I can’t believe you get to experience this movie for the first time. I’m so jealous.”

Emma stared on at Alyssa, wanting to press on what the first best way would be. Because Emma of course had her own ideas but she would trade them all in to know what Alyssa’s was. Deciding it would be best to just move on, Emma raised an eyebrow at Alyssa before asking, “Are you gonna do that thing where you look at me right before something funny or important or slightly foreshadowing happens?”

“I will absolutely be watching you most of the movie.” Alyssa said, her lips starting to curve into a smirk. “And I make no apologies for staring at a pretty girl.”

Emma opened her mouth to say something, object maybe, but instead just ended up watching as Alyssa stole the bowl of popcorn out of her lap and wiggled her eyebrows at Emma. Emma squinted playfully back at her, wondering if Alyssa had any idea the effect she had on Emma. 

Emma came to the conclusion that no, she did not, because the next thing Emma was watching was Alyssa stick her tongue out to place a piece of popcorn upon it before pulling it back quickly into her mouth. Suddenly, Emma was very aware of her own tongue.

Tearing her eyes away, Emma let herself get lost in the movie. 

They were only ten minutes in and Emma was quite enjoying it. She quickly got used to the feeling of Alyssa’s eager gaze on her every thirty seconds and just let herself sink into the story. The only thing that brought her out of it was the rattling of kernels in the popcorn bowl. Emma glanced over, shocked to find all the popcorn was already gone. “When you said you liked popcorn, you weren’t kidding.” 

Alyssa shook her head, a very serious expression on her face. “I never joke about food, Emma.”

Emma laughed, a little nervously from the intensity in Alyssa’s voice, and jotted down the mental note before getting up to head to the kitchen and make a second bowl. Alyssa paused the movie, insisting for the third time so far that “the best part is next”. 

When Emma returned, she found Alyssa had scooted down the couch, now taking it up in its entirety with her legs stretched out where Emma had been sitting. Emma tilted her head sideways to glare at her, but she kept her focus on the tv. Emma might’ve assumed Alyssa didn’t notice her if it wasn’t for the mischievous smile that began to break across Alyssa’s face.

Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of acknowledgement, Emma walked back to the couch without a word, lifted up Alyssa’s legs and sat back in her spot, letting Alyssa’s legs fall onto her lap, and started the movie back up. 

After a few minutes, Emma stealthily grabbed a piece of popcorn from the new bowl, and tossed it sideways. Emma watched in her peripheral as Alyssa skillfully caught it in her mouth. Emma turned her head to look at Alyssa, both surprised and impressed by the move. Alyssa beamed with pride while she chewed the popcorn. 

Out of curiosity, Emma threw a second piece and watched again as Alyssa effortlessly caught it in her mouth as well. Emma threw a few more, changing up height and velocity, but Alyssa never let one drop. Emma shook her head. “That’s incredible. How do you do that?”

Alyssa settled back, keeping herself propped up on her elbows. Giving a small shrug, she said, “What can I say? I’m good with my mouth.”

A heat rushed through Emma, pooling low within her. She swallowed hard, watching Alyssa’s eyes grow dark. Her attention was pulled away only when Alyssa’s tongue darted out, wetting her lips. One of Emma’s hands left the bowl, reaching to grab something that might help ground her. She immediately regretted it when the first thing she felt was the smooth skin of Alyssa’s legs, still draped across her lap. Emma’s eyes met Alyssa’s again, beginning a staring match that Emma feared would only end with no survivors. 

Just as Emma felt the space between them was getting too hot, too intense, Alyssa’s appearance relaxed. She smiled as soft as she spoke. “The best part is next.” 

“You’ve said that a few times now.” Emma whispered her response.

Alyssa tilted her head. “Maybe. But it’s true. The next part is always better.”

Alyssa’s voice was earnest and hopeful and Emma couldn’t help but feel like they weren’t talking about the movie anymore. A million thoughts raced through Emma’s head but she couldn’t quite find the right words to say.

And then everyone in the movie started losing it while they were trying on dresses and the moment was officially gone. 

The two finished the movie in a comfortable disposition. By the end, through all the laughter and even a few tears, Emma was running her fingers over Alyssa’s legs, idly drawing patterns of no importance over flawless skin.

“So… What did you think?” Alyssa asked, leaning back on her elbows again and watching Emma in anticipation. 

“I loved it!” Emma answered honestly.

“Good.” Alyssa beamed. “Do you feel any more at ease with your role as a maid of honor?”

Emma frowned. “No, if anything, I’ve never been more terrified about dress shopping than I am now.”

Alyssa gave her a pointed look. “Emma, that’s not going to happen to you.”

“Maybe not, but I won’t be able to stop thinking about it.”

Alyssa thought for a moment. “What if we went together?”

Emma’s eyebrows perked up. “I would actually really like that. Can we?”

In another impressive move, Alyssa pulled her weight up swiftly so she was sitting straight. Grabbing Emma’s hands that were still trailing along her legs and giving a light squeeze, Alyssa replied with, “Of course we can.”

“Cool,” was all Emma could manage. Alyssa’s face was now dangerously close to hers again with this new arrangement and the proximity was making Emma’s head feel light. “Alyssa…”

“Yeah, Emma?” Alyssa responded, voice just as low and quiet as Emma’s.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other day. Actually, I’ve just been thinking about you a lot in general. You said you didn’t want to confuse me and, well, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than I am about my feelings for you. You are the most incredible, most beautiful, most enchanting person I’ve ever met. And I meant it when I said I wanted to be friends, because even though all I really want is to have you in every sense of the word, I’d rather have you as a friend than not have you in my life at all.” Emma paused for a moment. “And I’m rambling again. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like you, Alyssa. I like you in ways I didn’t know were possible. And… well, I’d like to know if… Can I kiss you?”

“Emma, I like you too. I like you so much and I feel it all too. I really do, I just…” Alyssa’s voice trailed off, leaving a question in the air.

Emma studied her for a moment, trying to figure out the emotions behind her eyes, trying to hear the unspoken question as clear as possible. As Emma quickly identified the emotion as fear, her face softened. “Alyssa, this wouldn’t be you helping me again. This wouldn’t be an experiment.” Emma squeezed Alyssa’s hand, hoping if she couldn’t translate her sincerity through her words, maybe she could do it with her touch. “I’d like to kiss you because I don’t know how else to show you everything I feel for you.”

Emma watched as the fear left Alyssa’s features and she nodded, whispering, “Show me then, Emma.” 

And with Alyssa’s permission, Emma leaned in to kiss her, pouring everything she felt for Alyssa into one sweet yet passionate kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and kudos and comments! I love you all dearly!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> she short but she sweet, much like my dear Sparkle

Emma had never felt lighter in her life than she did kissing Alyssa. The second their lips were touching, nothing else in the world seemed to matter except the woman in front of her and translating everything she was feeling into the kiss.

They sat there for what felt like hours on Emma’s couch, purely kissing. Their touches were just as gentle as their lips as they held each other tenderly. Emma pulled Alyssa forward so she was in Emma’s lap now. Alyssa’s hands were holding Emma’s cheeks, thumbs running fondly over their pink tint and Emma’s hands were resting on Alyssa’s hips, her fingers dancing softly on the skin just under her shirt. 

The moment wasn’t charged like it was before. If Emma had to describe it, she would call it cozy. Not hot or heated, but comfortably warm. Like snuggling by the fire on a cold winter day. 

There was no rush, no urgency. Their lips brushed together with a perfect simplicity, and while the moment was nearly innocent, it was also the most intimate thing Emma had ever experienced. 

Although Emma could have stayed there forever and been entirely content, she eventually pulled back sighing happily. Alyssa smiled, leaning forward to kiss Emma’s nose before slipping her arms around Emma’s neck and resting their foreheads together. Tightening her grip around Alyssa’s waist, Emma held her just a bit closer than before. 

Alyssa attempted to muffle a yawn, but Emma still caught it. She pulled back to look at Alyssa, whose hands slid down to rest on Emma’s sternum. A smile broke out on both of their faces as Emma tucked a loose curl behind Alyssa’s ear. “Getting sleepy?”

“A little.” Alyssa said, reading the clock through heavy eyelids. “We kind of lost track of time there, huh?”

A blush rushed Emma’s cheeks as she noticed the clock now too. It had been well over an hour since the movie ended. “Yeah, I guess we did.” 

“I should probably get going soon.” Alyssa mumbled, resting her head on Emma’s shoulder. 

Emma lightly leaned her cheek against Alyssa’s head, thinking a moment. “Why don’t you stay the night, Alyssa?”

Emma felt Alyssa tense in her arms before pulling back and raising an eyebrow at her. “I wasn’t… I don’t want to rush this, Em. And I definitely don’t want you to feel rushed.”

“Oh.” Emma replied dumbly. The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. Thoughts similar, but well, not exactly that and definitely not now. It was probably a good thing to discuss though, so Emma took the opportunity. “I don’t feel rushed at all, ‘Lys. And I agree, I think we should take things slow too. I really did just meant for you to stay here so you don’t have to walk home alone at such a late hour. I can even sleep on the-”

“Please don’t say couch.” Alyssa cut her off, then offered a sincere smile. “I will only stay if you promise we both sleep comfortably in your bed.”

A fluttering sensation swooped through Emma’s stomach. She took a subtle breath, and tried to sound as cool as possible as she replied. “Those are some tough terms and conditions, but I accept.” 

Alyssa’s smile grew as she looked down at Emma’s lips. She started to lean in, making Emma suddenly very aware of just how eager she was for another kiss.

But Alyssa stopped halfway before pulling back. She chewed her lip before asking, “Is it okay if I kiss you?”

Emma tilted her head curiously at Alyssa. “Of course.”

“Okay,” Alyssa responded, hesitation still evident in her tone. “It’s just… we still haven’t really discussed this, which is totally fine - please take as much time as you need. I just don’t want to cross any lines or do anything you’re not ready for.”

A surge of emotions hit Emma square in the chest. Through tears quickly forming in her eyes, she leaned forward and kissed Alyssa again, this time with much more passion. 

When they broke apart again, Alyssa wiped away a tear that broke loose from hazel eyes. She had a sympathetic look on her face as she asked, “Emma, what’s wrong?”

“You’re just so…” Emma shrugged, ducking her face to hide the new wave of emotions she felt rushing her body. “Good to me.”

Alyssa appeared heartbroken at her words. She moved both of her hands so they were holding onto either side of Emma’s neck, thumbs tracing Emma’s jawline. Her gaze was intense but her voice was tender as she said, “Emma, you deserve the absolute best this world has to offer and I only hope I can be that for you.”

Alyssa’s words seemed to flow directly to Emma’s heart, filling it with so much affection it felt tight in her chest. “Honestly, you have been so thoughtful and considerate through all of this. I’ve never felt so safe with anyone before. Thank you, truly. And please, please, please… kiss me whenever you want.”

Alyssa let out a relieved sigh, chuckling into it and shaking her head. 

The two finally got up from their spot on the couch and Emma retrieved some clothes for Alyssa to wear to bed. She left the room to allow Alyssa a comfortable space to change and went to the kitchen to grab them each a cup of water. 

Emma couldn’t stop thinking about how grateful she was for Alyssa and that she’d accepted the invitation to stay the night. The idea of her going home alone this late at night truly unsettled her, and Emma knew she would sleep much better knowing Alyssa was safe. The fact that Alyssa would be safe in Emma’s bed was just an added bonus.

Knocking gently, Emma waited for Alyssa’s permission to enter the room. When a “come in” called through, Emma pushed the door open. 

Even though Emma had picked out the clothes for Alyssa to put on, she still wasn’t prepared for the sight of Alyssa in a pair of her boxer shorts and an old t-shirt. As Alyssa tied her hair into a bun on the top of her head, her shirt rose up enough for Emma to see her exposed hip bones - a result of the shorts being one size too big and riding dangerously low. Luckily, when Alyssa’s arms returned to her side, the shirt was big enough to hide them again. 

But it was too late for Emma at that point. Her throat was dry and her heart rate was breaking new records as Alyssa smiled fondly at her. She looked far too soft between wearing Emma’s clothes, having her hair pulled up, and _that look in her eyes_. 

Emma’s sense overloaded, and her brain scrambled to grab function from wherever it could. She did all she could do and drank one of the glasses of water in one go. 

Alyssa raised an eyebrow at Emma before teasing, “Thirsty?”

“Uh, yeah, must be.” Her eyes betrayed her, glancing the length of Alyssa’s body once more. Clearing her throat, she quickly handed the other glass to Alyssa. “This one’s for you.”

Alyssa used one hand to grab the cup from Emma and the other to gently stroke her thumb over Emma’s cheek as she said, “Thanks, Em. You’re very thoughtful.”

Once Alyssa was situated in the bed, Emma turned off the lights and made her way over while her eyes adjusted to the dark. Alyssa was curled on her side, head propped up on her arm as she watched Emma crawl under the covers and settle in next to her, mirroring her position. 

They laid there smiling at each other, barely visible by what little moonlight was shining into the room, until Emma spoke quietly. “I’m really happy, Alyssa.”

“Happy about what?”

“Life,” Emma answered so quietly that she wasn’t sure if Alyssa would hear.

“Me too.” Alyssa replied after a moment before she leaned forward, kissing Emma ever so gently. “Goodnight, Emma.”

“The best night, Alyssa,” Emma whispered back, smiling dumbly to herself as sleep soon overtook her.

//

The first thing to bring Emma out of her deep sleep was a chill across her stomach. She rolled over, wrapping tighter in her blanket to try and replace the warmth that used to be there. It hadn’t been a particularly cold night, which made it an odd occurrence. 

The next thing to bring Emma further into consciousness was the smell of lavender that overtook her senses as she buried her face into the pillow on the other side of her bed. The scent filled her with a sense of comfort, of security, of bliss. She smiled, nuzzling into the pillow even more. 

She finally opened her eyes when she heard a faint _thump_ followed by a mumbled curse. Through groggy eyes, she saw Alyssa’s rubbing her hip with an expression on her face that looked half of anguish and half of frustration. She looked about two seconds away from fighting Emma’s dresser when Emma finally asked, voice rough from sleep, “You okay, Lys?”

As if Emma’s voice alone was enough to ease all her worries, Alyssa relaxed into a content smile. “Yes,” she answered, slowly making her way over to Emma, swaying her hips in a way that was doing things to Emma that she couldn’t quite handle this early in the morning. Emma laid there helplessly watching until Alyssa stopped near her to lean down, kissing her gently. “Good morning, Em.”

Emma gave a satisfied hummed. “The best morning.” 

“You’re such a dork.” Alyssa laughed, shaking her head lightly before explaining, “I was gonna go grab us coffee.”

Emma started to sit up. “Okay, yeah, just give me a few minutes and I can come with.”

“It’s still early, Em. Why don’t you get a little more sleep? I’ll be back before you know it.” 

Alyssa stared fondly at Emma for a moment, sweeping messy blonde curls out of her face. Emma brought her own hand up to cover Alyssa’s. The look in her warm brown eyes was so tender that Emma felt a blush blanketing her cheeks. Suddenly shy, Emma tore her eyes away for a moment as she asked, “Promise you’ll come back?”

“I’ll keep coming back so long as you let me, Em.” 

Alyssa gave one more quick kiss before she left Emma’s room. When the sound of her front door closing echoed through her apartment, Emma rolled back into the lavender scented pillow, quickly drifting back to sleep.

The second time Emma began to wake was even more difficult than the first. She heard her front door close again followed shortly by footsteps making their way around her apartment. Although Emma’s eyes would not cooperate and just open, she could feel Alyssa’s presence back beside her bed.

“Em?” Alyssa whispered gently. 

Emma rolled over to face the edge of the bed and grunted in response.

Alyssa let out short breathy laugh. “Do you wanna keep sleeping?”

“No.” Emma managed. She raised her eyebrows high, but still her eyes refused to open. 

“Okay, I’ll just leave your coffee on the nightstand then,” Alyssa said before kissing Emma’s forehead.

When Emma realized Alyssa was about to walk away, her eyes finally flew open and she reached her arms out to grab Alyssa’s waist. In a move even she was impressed with, Emma spun Alyssa around and pulled her on top of Emma’s own body.

A squeal of surprise rang from Alyssa before she squirmed against Emma, getting comfortable on top of the other girl. Her head settled against Emma’s chest as Emma wrapped her arms around Alyssa’s body. When Emma pressed her lips into wild curls, Alyssa let out a light sigh.

“Thanks for coffee. And for being amazing.”

Alyssa brought her shoulders up to her ears, burrowing further into Emma’s chest. “You’re welcome. If it means starting out every morning like this, you can expect a lot more where that came from.”

“I’ll miss seeing Barton most days but this is so worth it.”

“Oh!” Alyssa said, lifting her head. “Speaking of, he wrote you a note on the cup.”

Emma’s eyebrows knotted as she grabbed her cup, spinning until she saw “_CALL ME!!_” written messily across her cup. She rolled her eyes to counteract the amused smile forming on her lips. “Did he say anything else?”

Alyssa shook her head. “No, he just asked where you were, so I explained that you had gone back to sleep and I was grabbing the coffee to go”

“Oh, he’s gonna have a field day with this one,” Emma groaned.

Fear flashed over Alyssa’s features as she quickly began apologizing. “Oh my God, Em, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think anything of it when I mentioned it to him. You probably aren’t ready for people to know anything yet. It’s all still so new. God, how could I be so dumb?”

“Hey.” Emma said, grabbing Alyssa’s attention enough to press forward and capture Alyssa’s lips with her own. The angle was awkward and hurt her neck a bit, but it didn’t matter. Emma needed Alyssa to know that everything was fine. She brushed her lips against Alyssa’s enough times to feel her frown steadily disappear, and only then did she break away. “You are kind and thoughtful and gorgeous and brilliant. You are so many things, but you are not dumb, Alyssa Greene. And for those reasons and so many more, I want the entire world to know about this. Just, gradually, I think?” As she spoke, Emma felt Alyssa relax against her body. “I’m not ready for a big coming out, but I also don’t want to hide this going forward. Does that make sense?”

“It does. We’ll take it one situation at a time. I’m glad you aren’t upset, but I am still sorry. I promise I’ll be more careful in the future.” Alyssa said, a mix of sincerity and remorse coating her tone. 

Emma’s eyes evaded Alyssa’s for a moment. “Besides, Barton _may_ have already had an idea about us. I’m sorry. I was going a little crazy and needed to talk to someone who didn’t make my insides feel like jelly every time they so much as looked my way.” 

Alyssa ducked her head as a bashful smile met her lips. “You definitely don’t need to apologize for that. It’s good you had someone to talk to. Especially if that talking helped lead you here.”

“Oh no, Barton told me to stay far away from you. I just chose not to listen.” Emma joked, shooting Alyssa a wink. “No, he actually wholeheartedly gave his blessing before anything had even happened. That first day back, when you bought my coffee? He suspected it then and was overjoyed. I was actually kind of thrilled by the assumption. Just another sign I skillfully ignored.”

“We all have our fair share of denial before we come to accept and embrace it. I can’t tell you how many teachers I was crazy smitten with and just brushed it off as a deep admiration for them before realizing that I was gay and crushing on them.” 

“Teachers, huh?” Emma teased, rewarding her an eye roll from Alyssa. “Oh, uh, Shelby also kind of knows.”

Alyssa’s eyes grew and her expression strained. Emma could tell she was trying to be calm for Emma’s sake as she offered a simple, “Oh?”

“Well, she knows there is a girl I kissed. I didn’t tell her who though, just said it was someone I met at the coffee shop.”

Alyssa’s features eased as she nodded.

“I’m just not ready to tell her yet and part of me doesn’t think I will be till after that wedding.”

Alyssa nodded again, adding more weight into it this time. “I agree with that.”

“Yeah?” Emma said, letting out a deep sigh. “So you won’t be mad if we keep this quiet from that part of our live's for a while?”

“Of course I’m not mad, Em. I think it’s for the best. They’ll naturally worry about something happening between us and… Well, none of us need that.” 

Emma chewed on her lip for a beat, before weakly asking, “Is that something we should worry about?”

Alyssa brought a hand up to cup Emma’s cheek. Her thumb began rubbing lazily against Emma’s skin. “Well, I can’t speak for you and I don’t mean to frighten you but… I honestly am not worried about it? Which kind of frightens _me_.” Alyssa gave a fragile laugh. “It’s crazy, I know it is, but every part of me is just so _sure_ about this, about us. Are… are you worried?”

“No.” Emma didn’t have time to think before her answer left her lips. “I’ve done my fair share of thinking about this for weeks now and I can say with absolute confidence: You’re the one thing in my life I’m certain about, Alyssa.”

They leaned in together, sealing their passionate confessions with a kiss of equal fervor. Alyssa’s other hand came up to caress Emma’s other cheek, both hands holding on with a tender but firm grasp. Emma’s fingers tangled into brown tresses, pulling gently and causing Alyssa to gasp. Emma used the moment to slide her tongue into Alyssa’s mouth, deepening kiss. 

Alyssa eventually pulled back, breathlessly saying, “Then that’s all that matters to me on the topic.” Her features shifted their intensity into mischief. “Besides, it could be fun sneaking around them like teenagers with a secret. Stolen glances, coded language, hidden makeout sessions.”

A thrilling sensation swirled through Emma’s stomach. Of course she couldn’t wait till they could finally tell Shelby and Kaylee, but having a secret with Alyssa was going to be fun, amongst many other things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello thanks for reading i have strong feelings for all of you who still read and kudos and comment <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fudged up guessing how long these three chapters would be so this one is a shorty too and the next one most likely will be as well. I also only read through once so... We're doin great today! Apologies!!

The next month passed by in a blur and was easily the best four weeks of Emma’s entire life. Although Emma and Alyssa agreed to take things slow, it was hard to do so when they’d already been spending most days together. They made an effort to spend at least two nights apart a week, but went easy on themselves when that inevitably failed.

Likewise, even though they’d agreed to keep things on the downlow from Shelby, Kaylee, and anyone else who might connect them, it didn’t stop Emma from telling everyone in their New York lives about her and Alyssa. 

Perhaps it was because she couldn’t tell the one person she wanted to most, but Emma wound up talking about Alyssa to anyone who would listen. It wasn’t until she found herself in a five minute long conversation with her cashier at the grocery store that she realized she was doing it. 

“Emma, I’m happy that you’re happy about us, but please let the poor retail workers live their lives,” Alyssa teased after Emma confessed the moment.

“Again, I didn’t realize it was happening until it was too late for both of us,” Emma groaned, grateful to be in her own changing room where her blush could stay hidden. 

Alyssa’s laugh echoed into the small space where Emma was trying on her sixth dress. “You’re cute.”

“You can’t even see me.”

“I don’t need to see you to know you look absolutely adorable right now.”

Emma frowned, looking in the mirror at the fabric hanging awkwardly from her body. “If you could see this dress, you’d say otherwise.”

“Oh come on, Em,” Alyssa tried. “You’ve said that about the last five. Come on out and let me see. Please?”

Emma sighed, readjusting the dress one more time before opening the door to show Alyssa the monstrosity that was Emma in a bridesmaid dress. 

A smile formed naturally on Alyssa’s face when Emma emerged. “Em, you look beautiful.”

“I look… awkward,” Emma replied, turning around to look at herself once more.

“Well… Yes.” Alyssa agreed, much to Emma’s surprise.

“Gee, thanks.” 

“Not because the dress doesn’t fit you or look good on you. Because _wow_,” Alyssa said, her eyes dropping down to the low cut of Emma’s dress for a moment so brief, yet long enough to shade her cheeks an even deeper red. “You just… Don’t look comfortable.”

“I’m not,” Emma mumbled, pulling at the fabric again. “I’ve never been comfortable in dresses.”

“Oh, well why don’t you try a suit then?” Alyssa suggested with a simple shrug.

Emma blinked at Alyssa. Although she had heard her with perfect clarity, Emma still felt like Alyssa spoke in a foreign language. “A suit?”

“Do you not like suits either? Because as much as I would enjoy you wearing nothing, I’m not sure how the brides will feel about you wearing white to their wedding.”

“Ha. Ha.” Emma responded with a straight face, folding her arms across her chest.

Alyssa smiled endearingly as she walked over to Emma. She held Emma’s arms, using them to balance herself as she leaned in to kiss Emma. “You will look beautiful in whatever you wear because you _are_ beautiful, Em. But what will make you _feel_ beautiful?”

Emma’s eyebrows knotted as she chewed thoughtfully on her lip. She’d honestly never even considered a suit before, but the second Alyssa suggested it Emma’s heart leapt, pulling her towards the alternative option like it was a life preserver and the blue dresses were an ocean trying to swallow her up. “I… I think I’d like to try a suit.”

Alyssa’s face lit up as she leaned in once more to kiss Emma before bounding off, calling back, “Wait right there!”

A few minutes later, Alyssa returned with one of the employees who had a rolling garment rack with several suits hanging from it. Alyssa must have been able to tell Emma was nervous because she placed a tender kiss on Emma’s cheek and whispered in her ear, “You’re gonna look great, babe.”

Emma’s nerves melted along with every other aspect of her existence. 

_Babe._

She nodded, dazed, and then disappeared back into the changing room to try on the suit. 

Slipping out of the dress alone was enough to make Emma feel herself again, but how she felt as she buttoned up the white shirt and slid on the suit jacket? Emma didn’t quite have words for it, but it felt similar to how she felt when she kissed Alyssa: right.

Emma held out her arms in the mirror, twisting to see all angles. A small gasp escaped her lips and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She’d never felt more herself in clothes before, despite also feeling uncharacteristically vain as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from her own reflection. 

“Em, is everything okay in there?” Alyssa called, a mix of concern and affection in her tone.

Emma sniffled, wiping at her eyes before answering back, “Yeah, you can come in if you’d like.”

Alyssa still knocked once before turning the knob and entering the small dressing area. When she closed the door and finally turned around to look at Emma, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Em, you… You look absolutely stunning.”

Emma smiled shyly, ducking her head and returning to checking herself out in the mirror. “I do, right? God, sorry, that was a very conceited thing to say.”

“No,” Alyssa said, stepping up behind Emma to smooth her hands over the fabric of the jacket, looking over Emma’s shoulder and into the mirror to also take in more of Emma’s appearance. “You look utterly beautiful and you should say it.”

Emma’s cheeks grew warm again as any doubts she might’ve had were washed away by Alyssa’s conviction. Alyssa turned her head slightly to place a lingering kiss on Emma’s cheek, followed by a few more trailed down the side of her neck before she rested her chin on Emma’s shoulders and wrapped her arms Emma’s waist, causing Emma to draw out a content hum. “Thanks for suggesting this, Alyssa. I’ve never felt… more me.” 

Alyssa’s eyes met Emma’s in the mirror and she smiled softly. “You sure look happy, Em.”

“The suit only gets a little credit for that,” Emma said as she turned in Alyssa’s arms to face her. “The rest all goes to you, ‘Lys.”

Pushing up on her toes, Alyssa kissed Emma properly this time, sucking Emma’s bottom lip between her own for a moment before pulling away again. She stepped back to check Emma out once more. Motioning to Emma’s clothes, Alyssa asked,“Do you mind if I…?”

As soon as Emma shook her head, Alyssa began to adjust the outfit a bit. She smoothed the collar and undid the top button before sliding her hands down Emma’s body to reach behind her and began tucking the shirt into her pants. 

As if the feeling of Alyssa’s deft hands on her body wasn’t enough, Alyssa’s eyes met Emma’s, watching with warmth that transferred to her own body, spreading like wildfire. Emma swallowed hard as she tried to calm the storm rapidly growing within her. Emma watched as Alyssa’s gaze danced over her appearance, shaking her head slightly and uttering an awestruck “Wow.”

“What is it?” Emma barely breathed.

Alyssa stepped back into Emma’s space, resting her hands on Emma’s chest just below her shoulders. “It’s just… unfair how incredibly hot you are.”

And with that declaration, lightning struck in Emma’s body. She surged forward, capturing Alyssa’s lips with her own. Alyssa matched her fervor and the kiss was soon one of tongue and teeth and passion. 

With a new found confidence Emma could surely thank the suit for, her hands found their way to Alyssa’s hips before walking her until her back made contact with the wall. When a gasp followed the gentle thud, Emma drew back to make sure she hadn’t been to aggressive. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in Alyssa, swollen lips, heaving chest, lustful eyes. 

A smirk met Alyssa’s lips before she wrapped her fingers around Emma’s neck, pulling her back in for another hungry kiss. Emma’s hips pushed firmly into Alyssa’s as desperate hands started to roam over clothes. Alyssa’s hesitated, stopping midway down Emma’s chest. After a moment, she tenderly slid them back up to leisurely play with blonde tresses as her lips steadily matched their pace. Against Emma’s lips, Alyssa mumbled, “We should probably slow it down.”

Emma surprised herself with a disappointed whine before clearing her throat. “Yeah, we probably should.”

“Besides, I just thought of the perfect one month anniversary present for you.”

“One month anniversary, huh? I wouldn’t have guessed you for one of those girls, Alyssa Greene.” Emma raised a teasing eyebrow at Alyssa.

Alyssa tilted her head thoughtfully, giving a small shrug and smile to match. “I’m not. Or at least, I wasn’t. But it feels right to celebrate the best month of my life.” 

A flurry of flutters erupted in Emma’s stomach as she tried to contain the smile threatening to split her face. Alyssa smiled in return, pressing up on her toes to kiss the tip of Emma’s nose, before leaving the changing room and allowing Emma privacy to change back into her own clothes.

//

Emma sat on the couch with her knees pulled against her chest, her back against the arm of the couch, and her phone held securely between her ear and her shoulder. She was playing with the fabric of her third month anniversary flannel shirt Alyssa had bought her not too long ago while she listened to Shelby tell stories about work and Kaylee and the simple yet intriguing town of Edgewater. 

After catching up on the day to day life, Emma switched the conversation to the wedding. “So… officially one month away. How are you feeling? Still wanna go through with it?”

“Hey!!” Kaylee’s objection rang through the line with a dramatic gasp.

“Shelbs, have I been on speaker this entire time?”

Her best friend’s laugh carried clearly through phone. “You sure have. That’s karma for ya, Nolan.”

“Karma for what?” Emma asked, nervously glancing at Alyssa who stopped what she was doing in the kitchen for a moment to tense, before returning to her task.

“I don’t know what exactly for yet, but I’m sure there’s something.”

Emma forced a laugh. “You wish. And Kaylee, I’m sorry. I hope you know I was only joking.”

“Oh, I do, Em! Besides, now that you’ve also got a lady, I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of revenge,” Kaylee teased back. 

Emma’s heart was beating out of her chest. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her breathing. “Oh cool, you know about that too, Kay.”

“Em, you said it was okay that I told her, so I did. I’m sorry.” Shelby’s voice returned, gentle with just a tinge of regret.

“No, don’t apologize. I did say it was okay, I had just forgotten. Ya know, things are still pretty new.” Emma’s eyes wandered back to Alyssa and she instantly felt herself soften. 

“Too new to bring her to the wedding?” Shelby asked, hopeful.

“Definitely.” Emma bit her cheek, hating the half lies and false truths of it all. Desperate for a subject change, Emma asked, “Have you talked to your family lately? Any changes of hearts on that front?”

“Yeah, they actually apologized for being close-minded assholes, offered to pay for the wedding, and will be arriving for the celebration on their flying unicorns.” 

Emma’s heart dropped. “Shelby, I’m so sorry. I don’t know when, but one day they’re really gonna regret this.”

A defeated sigh echoed through the phone. “Maybe you’re right, Em. But I’m not gonna let it ruin my day. They can live with their regrets, but I’ll have none.”

Emma wanted to reach through the phone and wrap her best friend up in her embrace, stroking her hair and telling her how much better she deserved. Her heart truly broke thinking about how much greatness Shelby’s parents were choosing to miss out on. 

Alyssa must’ve picked up on the mood shift, because she was soon by Emma, patting gently on her shoulder and encouraging her to scoot forward along the couch. Emma instantly obliged, sliding forward until she felt Alyssa sitting down where she had just been, slipping her legs to bracket either side of Emma’s body and pulling Emma back so she leaned against Alyssa’s chest. One of Alyssa’s hands stroked blonde hair while the other scratched lightly at Emma’s stomach.

Emma sunk her weight back into Alyssa, sighing heavily. She instantly felt lighter and more prepared to be strong for Shelby. It took every last ounce of self control not to turn around and give Alyssa a grateful kiss.

“Kaylee’s mom offered to walk me down the aisle.” Shelby’s voice was much quieter, much smaller than before. “Which is a really sweet offer, but I still haven’t given her an answer. I think a part of me really thought… I guess I just pictured things working out differently. Pretty stupid, huh?”

“No, Shelbs, that’s not stupid at all.” Emma said with great assurance. “Although you like to put on a tough facade, you’ve got the biggest, fiercest, most loyal heart I know. Even though they don’t deserve it, you still believe in them to be good, to make the right decision. That doesn’t make you stupid, Shelby. That makes you strong and courageous. They’re the stupid ones for not seeing that.”

It was silent for a moment, except for the occasional sniffle before Emma heard a deep breath. “Thanks, Nolan. I don’t know how I would do this without you.”

“You wouldn’t.” Emma said simply, and was relieved when she heard Shelby’s laugh ring through. 

“Let’s get back to mystery girl,” Shelby said. “Can you please tell us her name now?”

Alyssa’s movements stopped for a second, before resuming as Emma scrambled for words. “Soon, I promise.”

“Why must you deprive me, Nolan?” Shelby whined before sighing. “Fine, if you can’t tell me her name, at least tell me how she is in bed.”

Emma choked as she felt Alyssa bury her face into Emma’s neck, teeth gently grazing her skin as Alyssa bit her own lip to hold back a laugh, and although now really wasn’t the time, it still sent a shiver through her body. “I…”

“That good?”

“No it’s just…”

“Oh, that bad?”

“_No._” Emma groaned. “We’re taking things slow, Shelby.”

“Ahhh okay.” Shelby paused before asking, “How are you feeling about the next step?”

Alyssa placed a kiss on Emma’s neck and Emma could tell she was going to get up to allow Emma some privacy, so Emma firmly grabbed the hand around her waist and gave a squeeze so Alyssa knew she was welcome to stay. 

Alyssa relaxed again and let her fingers resume their dance along Emma’s belly. Emma cleared her throat awkwardly, because while she was okay with Alyssa being around for this conversation, it didn’t make it any less odd. 

“Ready, I think? Excited, definitely. Nervous too. I really, _really_ like her, Shelbs.” As Emma spoke, she felt Alyssa’s touch became more earnest, more determined.

“It sounds like it, Em, and because of that, I wouldn’t stress it much. You’ll know when you’re ready and if the connection is as strong as it sounds like it is, it will be amazing once it finally happens.” 

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks. I do feel better.” It was partly true. Shelby’s words did offer her comfort, but she felt a pang of guilt shoot through her that Shelby still didn’t know the full truth of it all. 

Feeling the weight of the secret on her in that moment, Emma absentmindedly shifted back in her spot, apparently in just the right way… 

And elicited a high pitched noise from Alyssa.

She quickly used the exposed skin of Emma’s neck to silence herself again, but it was too late. Emma’s eyes grew wide as she held her breath and waited to see if Shelby heard it.

“What the hell was that, Emma?”

“Uh, a dog,” Emma poorly lied, causing Alyssa to swat gently at Emma’s arm.

“In your apartment?”

“Sorry, Shelby. I, um, gotta go. Love you, see you soon. Bye!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big big thanks to all who read, kudos, and comment! So much love and appreciation for you all!


	8. Chapter 8

“Alyssa, it’s too early,” Emma grumbled from her side of the bed with her eyes still closed.

“I never said you had to wake up, babe.” Alyssa replied.

“Maybe not, but how am I supposed to go back to sleep when you’re watching me?” Emma asked, raising an eyebrow but keeping her eyes shut.

“I’m not watching you.”

“Lys, please, I can _feel_ you staring at me.” 

“You cannot.”

“I can too.”

Emma felt a slight shift on the mattress next to her. She could tell Alyssa had scooted closer to her, but she still refused to open her eyes and give her the satisfaction of having woken her up. Alyssa was suspiciously quiet, though, and Emma grew curious as to what the woman was up to.

Then gentle fingers brushed under Emma’s shirt and against her belly. She gasped quietly as her muscles danced under the seemingly innocent touch. 

Warm breath tickled her ear as Alyssa whispered, “Can you feel this too?”

Emma gulped, eyes still screwed shut, and nodded her head.

Alyssa’s hand slid up higher, settling right below Emma’s breasts. Emma felt her torso involuntarily rise to meet the touch. Alyssa nipped at her ear before asking, voice low, “And this too?”

“Yeah,” Emma said in a shaky breath.

Alyssa continued to trace her fingers under the curves, anticipation causing her breathing to become labored. Alyssa’s mouth worked along the soft skin of Emma’s neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses in its path. She pulled away and Emma whimpered from the loss of contact. 

“Do you want to feel more, Emma?” Alyssa’s sultry voice came again, causing a shiver to ring through Emma’s body as her eyes finally shot open, locking with Alyssa’s. 

“Yes,” Emma whined, a pleading look in her eyes. It was all she could manage before Alyssa’s hand moved up, finally cupping Emma’s breast and kneading gently. 

Emma moaned, long and drawn out from the feeling of Alyssa finally touching her where she’d only dreamed of before. Her hands grasped at the bed sheets, seeking balance as she lifted her head up, Alyssa meeting her for a heated kiss. It felt different, but Emma couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

Meanwhile, Alyssa’s deft fingers begin to circle Emma’s nipple, drawing out a small gasp from the blonde. Alyssa seized the moment to dip her tongue into Emma, deepening the kiss, and Emma hummed into it.

“Fuck, Alyssa, this feels so good,” Emma whispered against Alyssa’s lips. “I’ve thought about your touch so many times, but this still feels like a dream.”

Alyssa hummed against Emma’s lips. “I know, babe, I’ve wanted this too.”

Feeling much more alert, Emma’s hands released the sheets and found Alyssa’s waist, pulling Alyssa closer. Alyssa obliged, straddling Emma, whose hands settled on Alyssa’s smooth thighs. Taking advantage of the new position, Alyssa let her free hand join the other under Emma’s shirt. 

Emma was grateful to be laying down as her head became light and her breathing completely erratic. Between Alyssa on top of her, hands pleasuring her breasts and the look of pure desire in her brown eyes, a dense heat began to pool low within Emma. Her hips twitched underneath Alyssa, who responded by grinding down into Emma, throwing her head back and moaning with satisfaction. Emma had never seen a more beautiful sight.

When Alyssa’s eyes met Emma’s again, there was a new kind of hunger to them. Her hands matched the shift, becoming more firm, more determined in their task. She leaned down, kissing Emma hard before pulling back, lifting Emma’s shirt, and attaching her lips to one of Emma’s taut nipples. Emma cried out Alyssa’s name, as her hands tangled into messy brown curls. Emma didn’t know it was possible to feel this good and couldn’t help but wonder what else might feel like this, if not better.

Alyssa must’ve been in Emma’s mind, because one of her hands trailed down Emma’s stomach, stopping at the waistband of her pajama shorts. “Is this okay?”

“God, please, Alyssa.” Emma all but begged. As Alyssa’s fingers slipped under the waistband, Emma’s breath hitched. “I can’t believe this is real.”

“It’s not, Em. I thought you knew that?” Alyssa pulled back with confusion painting her features.

Emma’s head felt hazy as she shook it. “What do you mean?” 

But before Alyssa could explain further, Emma was drawn from sleep by the gentle shaking of her arm. She blinked her eyes open to find Alyssa propped up next to her, eyebrows tied together with concern. “Is everything okay, Em?”

“Yeah, all good” Emma managed, trying to steady her heavy breathing.

“Okay, good.” Alyssa said before leaning over to kiss her forehead. “I heard my name, but you must have just been talking in your sleep.”

Emma averted her gaze and her heart started to beat faster. “Did you, uh, hear anything else?”

Alyssa’s eyebrows shot up as she tried to bite back a smile. She answered Emma’s question with a slow nod of her head. “Sounded like some dream.”

“Oh, god,” Emma groaned.

“Yeah, I heard that bit too,” Alyssa teased. When Emma moaned even more and turned over to hide her face in her pillow, Alyssa softened and brushed blonde locks out of Emma’s face, trying to get her attention. “Hey, Emma?”

Emma lifted her head just enough to make sure her words wouldn’t get lost in the pillow. “Sorry, the essence that was Emma has left this body and ascended. Don’t worry about her anymore. She’s in a better place now.”

“Emma,” Alyssa tried again, drawing out the vowels of her name this time and shaking her gently but insistently.

However, Emma didn’t budge. She held firm in her position, calculating the odds of the earth opening up and swallowing her whole. When Alyssa fell silent and all she felt was movement next to her, the air felt heavier and her mind wander back to how her dream started out.

She was mid internal debate whether to turn back over or not when she felt the weight of Alyssa’s body on hers as Alyssa laid lengthwise on top of Emma. Fingers brushed against Emma’s neck, holding blonde curls out of the way for Alyssa to press tender kisses to the skin there. “Emma, I’m sorry I teased you. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m flattered you dreamed of me, and if I’m being completely honest, I’m jealous.”

A shiver traveled through Emma’s body with each brush of Alyssa’s lips to her neck. The weight of Alyssa on her was unexpectedly comforting and she felt her body relax and her heart calm. Emma readjusted, folding her arms under her head and turning her head to the side, being instantly rewarded an affectionate kiss to her cheek before Alyssa continued the random trail along her jaw. Emma asked hesitantly, “You’re jealous?”

“Of course I’m jealous.” Alyssa paused to nip at Emma’s earlobe, sending another familiar bolt of anticipation through her. “From the sounds of it, you were dreaming for the both of us.”

The confession colored Emma’s cheek with a blush, but also provided her the confidence she needed to push Alyssa off of herself. Alyssa was erupting in giggles until Emma rolled onto her, palms flat against the mattress on either side of Alyssa’s head, holding herself up over Alyssa. It was enough to silence her, eyes growing wide and fluttering to Emma’s mouth. Leaning down, Emma mumbled against Alyssa’s lips, “Just a few more days and it doesn’t have to be just a dream anymore.”

“Why do I have a feeling those few days are gonna be the longest of my life?” Alyssa groaned.

“Because it will be. Bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, the big day… There’s still so much to happen before we can even think about telling the girls” Emma pressed forward, kissing her gently and Alyssa sighed into it. “Thanks again for being so understanding about this all. I know this isn’t really the ideal circumstance for dating someone.”

“You don’t need to keep thanking me. I agreed this was the most respectful way to handle things as well. Kaylee and Shelby have enough going on with the wedding and work and family drama. As soon as we find the right time, we’ll do things the right way and tell them.” Alyssa said before tilting her head to the side and smiling affectionately at Emma. “Besides, I’d wait forever for you, Em”

Emma’s heart thumped loudly in her chest as she melted down onto Alyssa, kissing her to communicate what words couldn’t. 

//

“She lives!” Barton sang across the cafe as Emma and Alyssa entered hand in hand. 

“Shut up,” Emma mumbled bashfully, feeling the gaze of the other patrons as they made their way up to the counter. 

Barton made his way around and over to Emma. Grabbing at her face, he said, “Is that really you, Emma? It’s been 84 years!” 

Through a properly smooshed face, Emma managed, “Barton, it’s me. Cut it out.” Barton dropped his hands, smiling at Emma and she couldn’t resist jumping forward and giving him a huge hug. 

“Hey, sweetie!” Barton greeted Alyssa, who was giggling at the entire exchange, before continuing his gripe. “I’m just saying, if I had known you getting the girl would mean I never got to see you anymore, I’d have given you bad advice that night.”

“Oh don’t be dramatic, I still come in every now and again.” Emma argued back.

“Four times. You’ve been in four times in four months.” 

Emma shook her head. “That can’t be true.”

“Actually, babe…” Emma turned to see Alyssa gazing at her with a hesitant look.

“Oh.” Emma said quietly before giving her attention back to Barton. “I’m sorry, B. I promise when we get back from the wedding I’ll make more of an effort to see you.”

“And I promise to drag her out of bed more often and make her come in for coffee.” Alyssa added, resting her hand on Emma’s shoulder and nodding.

“Please, Alyssa, when we get back from the wedding there is no way either of us are leaving the bed for a month.” 

The words slipped out of her mouth of their own accord. 

Her eyes grew and her face felt like it was on fire as she looked at Alyssa, finding her with her eyebrows high on her face and sucking both her lips in and trying poorly to conceal her amusement. Emma dared a glance at Barton, who was properly shocked with his jaw practically on the floor. Emma’s brain jumped into overdrive trying to back out of the mud pit she drove herself into. “Cause we’ll… Be so tired from the weekend. Very busy. Anyways, we could meet up sometime next week for drinks. Speaking of drinks, we should, uh, order ours. Got a plane to catch, afterall.” 

Before either of them could respond, Emma was dragging Alyssa up to the counter. Once they finally stopped moving, Alyssa leaned close to Emma whispering “smooth” before kissing her on the cheek. Emma groaned and wondered how long it would take for her to live this down.

“Enjoy seeing Emma today, Diane. She’ll be way too preoccupied to come in at all next month!” Barton called to the other barista, answering Emma’s question in the process. 

“Do I wanna know?” Diane asked Alyssa.

She looked at Emma for a moment, as if debating her answer before she said, “No, probably not.”

“Alrighty then. Your usuals?”

“Yes please!” Alyssa answered, paying Diane before her and Emma walked to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. 

Emma wrapped her arm around Alyssa’s shoulder, pulling her as close as possible and placing a kiss on top of her head. Alyssa hummed in response, snuggling further into Emma. It was the simplest moments like this that brought Emma the most joy, just living out everyday tasks with Alyssa by her side. 

They weren’t there too long before Barton brought their coffees to them, a huge smile on his face. Handing them their drinks, he said, “I know I give you shit, Emma, but I really am happy for the both of you. It’s abundantly clear how happy you make each other, and I couldn’t think of two more deserving humans.”

Emma gently separated from Alyssa to throw her arms around Barton, squeezing him tight. “Thank you, Barton. For everything.”

Patting Emma’s back and pressing his lips into her hair, he said softly, “You’re welcome, honey.”

When they broke apart, Alyssa jumped in for a hug too, thanking him as well. Emma thought she heard him sniffle, which was confirmed when he wiped at loose tears. 

“Now, you two go and have a blast this weekend!” Barton said, straightening himself up. “And try not to hijack the wedding!”

Alyssa laughed and Emma rolled her eyes before they said goodbye to head to the airport.

//

The flight to Indiana wasn’t terribly long and went by much faster with the company of Alyssa. Emma was right all those months ago to be bummed they hadn’t flown together the first time around, but she comforted herself by thinking of all the future flights and trips to still come for them.

They were mid movie, Alyssa cuddled into her, when Emma mumbled, “I’m gonna miss this.”

Alyssa pulled back, giving her a quizzical look. “Miss what?”

“This.” Emma said, gesturing between them.

“Are you breaking up with me, Em?” Alyssa asked with an eyebrow raised, and although she had a playful smile on her face, Emma could see worry seeping through. 

“God, no.” Emma said quickly. “And if I ever do, seek help for me because I’ve clearly lost my mind.”

“Oh, thank God.” Alyssa breathed. 

Emma pressed a kiss to her forehead, explaining further. “I just mean having to pretend we aren’t together until we find the right time to talk to Kaylee and Shelby.”

“Oh.” Alyssa said quietly. “I haven’t really let myself think about it too much, I guess.”

“It’s all I’ve been able to think about. Not getting to hold your hand or kiss you just because? I can already tell I’m going to be terrible at it.”

Alyssa chewed her lip thoughtfully. “Yeah, it’ll probably be a game to see who slips up first.”

“Knowing how competitive you are, that actually might be the best way to look at this.” Emma teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

Alyssa feigned injury. “How competitive _I_ am? If I remember correctly, you rallied a team of misfits just to beat me.”

“I didn’t have to rally them to beat you. We just had to put in moderate effort.” Emma said with a shrug.

“Oh is that so?” Alyssa responded, lighting up in a way that Emma found impossibly adorable. “Game on then, Nolan.”

Emma gave a satisfactory smiled. “Game on, Greene.” 

Alyssa squinted, looking at Emma for a moment before snuggling back into her. After a minute, she said, “For the record, that only worked because I knew what you were doing and allowed it.”

Emma laughed with her full chest, drawing Alyssa closely and pressing a kiss into her hair. “Sure you did, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to every who comments, kudos, and honestly just still reads. Love you all to pieces! The next chapter is the bachelorette party so... buckle up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay the chapters are back to normal thank you for your patience with the shorties!

**Alyssa: How’s it going for team blue? **

Emma glanced around the barn at Shelby and the rest of her wedding party, lounging around and taking turns throwing axes. They didn’t look entirely bored, but there was a spark missing that Emma had always envisioned when she heard the phrase “bachelorette party”. 

**Emma: Fine, I guess. I stand by not having alcohol for axe throwing, but I think it’ll help when we all meet up at the bar later.**

The plans for the evening were practically perfect thanks to Alyssa. Emma was an absolute mess trying to organize the party without any experience or knowledge of Edgewater and what there even was to do, but Ayssa swooped in and truly saved the day. Of course, she didn’t do it for free. Emma had come up with a list of ways she would make it up to Alyssa, who didn’t object to any of them.

Just thinking about Alyssa and how much better she made everything in Emma’s life made her heart ache for the other woman. 

**Emma: Which is when by the way? I kiss you.**

**Emma: miss***

**Emma: God I wish I could kiss you.**

Emma looked up from her phone to watch Shelby fling an axe, barely hitting the target.

**Alyssa: You’re a dork. **

**Emma: I’m your dork though. **

**Alyssa: Emma, please. I’m trying to pretend I don’t miss you too but you’re making it nearly impossible.**

**Alyssa: Plus I’m starting to get weird looks for smiling like an idiot.**

**Emma: I wish I could see that smile. Have I mentioned already that I miss you?**

The next message came through with an image attached.

**Alyssa: This smile? **

In the picture, Alyssa was pulling a ridiculous face. They were spending their evening at a spa, so she had a towel wrapped around her head and a robe to match. Her chin was pulled down into her neck and her top lip was tucked in, exposing the entirety of her top row of teeth. Even with her nostrils flared and one eye drifting lazily, Emma still found herself falling even more for the insane girl in the photo.

She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her before she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Shelby, Kevin, and Greg all looked at her curiously and she gave a small shrug before lying, “Just a funny meme.”

“Nice! I wanna see.” Greg said, making his way to Emma.

“Oh, uh sorry I already scrolled past but if I see another one I’ll show you.” Emma rubbed the back of her neck and looked away from his gaze.

**Emma: Jokes on you, you’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to kiss that perfect nose of yours. **

“Em, stop texting your girlfriend and throw some axes,” Shelby said, now standing in front of Emma holding out an axe.

Emma hadn’t noticed Shelby approaching her and was startled by her sudden appearance, fumbling with her phone and nearly dropping it. “I wasn’t… She’s not my girlfriend. Not yet.”

Shelby pulled the axe away as Emma went to reach for it. “Hold up, she’s still not your girlfriend yet?”

“No,” Emma mumbled, watching as she twisted her shoe into the dirt of the floor.

Shelby shook her head in disbelief. “What the hell are you waiting for, Nolan?”

“I…” Emma sighed heavily, letting her shoulders drop. “It’s complicated.”

“You keep saying that, but it doesn’t need to be. If you both like each other, just be together.”

Emma could feel the confession creeping to the tip of her tongue. Shelby seemed so earnest in her words and Emma felt their sincerity. Emma knew they were being perhaps a tad dramatic keeping up this secret, but if she were being completely honest, the truth that neither Emma nor Alyssa want to admit is that, apart from not wanting to stress out the brides, a small part of them both was irrationally terrified about their friends’ disapproval. Because as strong as Emma and Alyssa felt about each other and as sure as they were in their relationship, even the wildly slim possibility of losing or upsetting their best friends was frightening.

“You’re right, Shelby.” Emma said, with a small nod. “I promise I won’t waste much more time, okay?”

Shelby still looked skeptical, but slowly handed the axe to Emma. “Okay, I’ll hold you to that.” 

Emma took the axe from Shelby’s hand and stepped up to the line marked on the ground for where to stand. “Ya know, when Alyssa first suggested this, I thought she was joking.”

“This was Alyssa’s idea?” Shelby asked, her interest suddenly piqued.

“Uh, yeah. She might’ve helped me with most of the planning, since she knew the town better.” Emma kept her focus on the target, not wanting to see if Shelby was disappointed that Emma had help. 

Shelby was quiet for a moment before she spoke slowly. “That was very nice of Alyssa. And a great suggestion. Honestly, Em, I’m having a great time tonight!”

Daring a look, Emma glanced to see a genuine expression on Shelby’s face. Relaxing again, Emma threw an axe, landing it perfectly in the bullseyes. “Holy shit,” she breathed.

“Damn, girl! That was awesome! And I got it on video!” Shelby said, excitedly running to show Emma.

“You were recording me?”

“Yeah, honestly, I thought it was gonna be hilarious, but man, am I sorry I doubted you.”

Emma glared at Shelby for a moment before looking at the video she was beaming at. Emma watched herself throw the axe flawlessly, stare at it for a few seconds in disbelief, and then heard the hushed swear. Emma chuckled as she hit Shelby’s outstretched hand for a high five. “Can you send that to me please? Alyssa’s gotta see this.”

“Sure, though you should send it to your mystery girl too.” Shelby mused as she typed Emma’s name into her phone to send the message.

“Right, yeah, I’m gonna send it to her too. Of course.” Emma nodded a little too hard trying to sell it.

Shelby gave her a curious look before switching places with Emma, grabbing an axe and stepping up to the marker. 

Emma settled onto a hay bale, pulling out her phone and forwarding the video to Alyssa.

**Emma: Do you regret challenging me to this game yet? **

Emma closed her phone and rested it into her lap. Watching Shelby throw, she asked, “So you getting nervous yet?”

“Honestly?” Shelby thought, tossing an axe in her hand before throwing it at the target. “I’m not even slightly nervous. In two days, I get to marry the love of my life in front of all those that are important to me. I’m more excited than anything.”

Emma smiled at how content her friend was. “I’m really happy for ya, Shelbs.”

Before she could say more, her phone went off with a reply from Alyssa. Emma smiled smugly, anticipating Alyssa’s reaction to her perfect throw and taunt. 

While a picture loaded, Emma read the message she sent along with it. 

**Alyssa: I could ask you the same question. **

Emma’s brows furrowed as she waited for the picture to load. She wasn’t sure what Alyssa could be doing at the sauna that could intimidate her.

When the photo finally downloaded, Emma nearly dropped her phone. It was another photo of Alyssa, but the mood was entirely different this time. It was taken in what looked like the bathroom of the spa they were at. She was no longer wearing a towel on her head but rather her wild curls flowed down onto her shoulders, which were now bare. Her robe had been shrugged off of them, exposing the soft skin of her chest and her defined clavicles. Her eyelids were heavy and the half smirk on her face let Emma know that Alyssa knew she had won this round before it was even over.

The second the picture fully registered for Emma, a small whimper left her mouth. It was truly unfair how incredibly attractive Alyssa was and Emma was beginning to feel a bit foolish thinking she could beat Alyssa at this game. She quickly sent back an emoji of a white flag for surrender and got a laughing face paired with a kiss emoji in return. 

Steadying her breathing, Emma decided she needed a distraction and asked Shelby, “So have you decided who is going to walk you down the aisle yet?”

Shelby froze, tightening her grip on the axe before throwing it and hitting her first perfect bullseye of the night. “I’m ready to meet Kaylee at the bar now.”

//

Emma knew Kaylee’s party wasn’t ready yet, but she couldn’t exactly tell Shelby that without getting asked questions Emma wasn’t sure her brain could handle right now. That’s how they ended up at the bar before the others. 

“Wow,” was all Emma could manage as they entered the old rundown establishment. If Emma had to describe it to someone using only one small phrase, she would call is a rusty saloon. Just about everything in the place seemed like it could use a renovation and a deep cleaning. It was the perfect reminder of just how far from New York Emma was. “Everything makes sense now.”

“What’s that?” Shelby asked, scanning the room with intent. 

Resting her hand on Shelby’s shoulder, Emma said, “They won’t be here for another fifteen or twenty minutes, Shelbs. And I just meant, all the stories Alyssa told me about this place makes sense now.”

Shelby twisted her mouth, trying to hide her disappointment that Kaylee wasn’t there yet. “Yeah, we had some good times here.”

“Wait, where did the boys go?” Emma asked, looking around.

Shelby gestured to a corner of the place, where Emma spotted Kevin and Greg getting excited about the jukebox. “If there’s anything you want to play, you better get it in now. Those boys are about to spend a stupid amount of money on songs.”

Emma laughed as her and Shelby made their way to the bar to order some drinks. They grabbed some seats there and busied their time with conversation while they waited for the other party to show up.

“It’s just so funny how she can go from the most intelligent, well spoken individual to a mumbling dummy as soon as she gets sleepy. Like the other day we were watching a documentary late into the night and it was talking about leeks being the food of Wales and her eyes were already closed and she thought they meant _whales_ so she just yelled out to the tv ‘that’s stupid, whales eat krill’. I laughed so hard I had real tears!”

Shelby laughed lightly, shaking her head. “God, I wish you talked about the mystery girl as much as you talk about Alyssa.”

Emma blushed, setting down her drink on the bar. “Oh, right. Um, I guess I just don’t- ugh.” 

Emma cut her sentence off with a groan as she saw Luke walk through the door of the bar looking as arrogant as ever. Her annoyance quickly faded when she realized that it meant Alyssa wouldn’t be too far behind. Nick and Katherine were next followed by Kaylee, causing Shelby to scream and run to her. 

When Alyssa walked through the door, Emma let out air she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. Alyssa looked absolutely beautiful. At some point between the picture she sent and now, she’d pulled half her hair back. She was wearing tight black jeans, a red sleeveless blouse, and heels. Her lipstick matched her shirt perfectly and her eyelashes were thicker than normal. Emma’s heart started to dance and she felt her body pulling her towards the other woman. They met in a tight embrace, holding each other for what was probably a little more than an appropriate amount of time. 

“I missed you,” Alyssa whispered into her ear.

“You have no idea,” Emma said back, before pulling away. 

Emma finished greeting the rest of the party, biting her tongue when she said hello to Luke, and they all made their way to their reserved table, which Emma now found amusing considering how few patrons were actually at the bar. A server popped by shortly after they sat down to get drink orders going for the joiners.

“The spa was perfect and amazing! I feel like a whole new person. Thanks again, Alyssa.” Kaylee beamed at her maid of honor.

“Yeah, I hear I should be thanking you too! Axe throwing was awesome.” Shelby added.

Alyssa smiled shyly, as if she didn’t know what to do with the praise. “Oh, it was nothing, really. I’m just glad you two are having a great night! Sorry we were running a bit behind. Did we miss anything exciting?”

“Well, the boys probably already have the next thirty songs lined up,” Shelby said, nodding to the two guy still busy at the jukebox.

“They started without me? Not cool!” Nick said, getting up and joining them, Luke following his lead much to Emma’s gratitude. 

Kaylee laughed. “Oh good, so we didn’t miss much?”

“Nope.” Shelby said with a pop before smiling slyly. “Emma was just about to tell us more about mystery girl. Hopefully a name so I can stop calling her that?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Or we could talk about literally anything else.”

“I hear she’s really pretty.” Alyssa jumped in, with a teasing look in her eyes.

“Wait, you still haven’t met her either, Lys?” Shelby asked with just a hint of suspicion in her voice. “Emma, honey, has anyone else ever seen this girl?”

“Shut up. She’s real.” Emma pushed Shelby’s shoulder gently. “And yes, she is very pretty, very kind, very brilliant. A pain in my ass some days, but I really like her.”

Alyssa kicked Emma under the table, not hard but enough to send a message. Emma just smiled back, giving a look that she hoped conveyed that she was still in the game.

“Well, you look much happier,” Kaylee said, reaching across the table to squeeze Emma’s hand.

“I feel much happier.” Emma nodded thoughtfully, sneaking at glance at Alyssa to find a soft smile. “But enough about me. It’s your big night!”

Emma relaxed again as the conversation moved on. When the server brought the rest of the drinks over, Alyssa handed the wrapped straws back to her explaining they didn’t need them.

Kaylee frowned. “Alyssa, I’m all for saving the environment too but this place is way too gross to put our lips to the glass.”

Alyssa didn’t say anything though. She just smiled mischievously and fished for something in her bag. Eventually, she pulled out a fist full of hard plastic pink straws. 

“Alyssa, you didn’t…” Kaylee said before squealing.

“Of course I did! I know how much you wanted the full experience tonight.”

Emma looked between the two woman with a confused look on her face before grabbing one of straws, inspecting it for a second. “Is that a…”

“Penis!” Kaylee yelled excitedly.

Emma started to slowly hand it back when Shelby snatched it from her and put it in her drink. “Hold up, Em, we could have fun with this.”

Just as Emma was about to say that she doubted that, Shelby bit down on the straw and Emma let out a loud laugh. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

The boys made their way back to the table with satisfied smiles on their faces. They assured the girls that the rest of the night was set with “great jams”, but the look Alyssa, Shelby, and Kaylee exchanged told Emma differently.

As the last song that wasn’t one of theirs faded out and turned into one of their selections, they all insisted on everyone dancing and Luke started making his way around the table to Emma. 

Not wanting to hear whatever gross thing he had to say, Emma whispered “give me one” to Alyssa, who quickly handed over a pink straw, a curious look on her face. Before he could say a word, Emma made eye contact with Luke and began chomping down on the plastic penis. She watched as he recoiled with pain on his face before joining the others on the dance floor. 

Alyssa burst out laughing and Emma felt warmth fill her body. She looked over with an odd sense of pride as she watched the world's most beautiful woman throw her head back with joy at something Emma had done. It had to be the best feeling in the world. 

Forgetting where they were, Emma was startled when Shelby asked, “You gonna dance, Em?”

“Oh, uh, no thanks. I’m not much of a dancer.” 

Alyssa opened and closed her mouth slightly, as if trying to pick the right thing to say next, before settling with, “Well, I’m gonna go dance. If you want some lessons, you know where to find me!”

Emma’s eyes were glued to Alyssa as she walked to the dance floor with a little jaunt in each step. When she made it over to where Kaylee was dancing, she began swaying her hips to the music. She looked over her shoulder and smiled when she saw Emma was still watching.

Emma swallowed hard as she tore her eyes away from Alyssa and gave her attention back to Shelby, who seemed to be engrossed with her own girl on the dance floor. 

“Why couldn’t Gabriella come out tonight again?” Emma asked.

Shelby turned her head towards Emma but kept her gaze on Kaylee while she answered, “Oh, well we figured since she couldn’t come into the bar anyways she could skip out altogether. Plus, the rest of the family is still giving her a hard time for how involved she is in everything.” 

Heat flooded Emma and her fists clenched at her side. “Your family is so dumb for how they are behaving. I wish I could talk some sense into them or I don’t know. I just wish there was something I could do.”

Shelby looked at Emma now with a sad smile. “Thanks, Em, but they aren’t worth it. The wedding is in two days now so I need to just stop hoping they’ll come around.” 

Before Emma could offer any words of comfort, Shelby announced she was going to join her wife and bounded off to the dance floor. 

Emma furrowed her brows as she let her mind play over the situation with Shelby’s family. Emma had met Shelby’s parents a few times in college, mostly their freshman year. After Shelby and Kaylee started dating, they stopped coming around. Even then, Shelby pretended it didn’t bother her. 

There was one night, though, when Shelby was particularly vulnerable and confessed to Emma that a part of her hoped that her family would cut her off all together, that it would be less painful that way. Emma had never really understood what she meant, but it finally all made sense. The idea that there was even a chance of her family coming around was killing Shelby slowly. Emma wished there was something she could do to ensure it didn’t get in the way of the happiest day of Shelby’s life.

Emma downed the rest of her drink and debated ordering another as she watched her friends, old and new, having the time of their life dancing under half burnt out neon lights and worn down disco ball. They all radiated joy as they danced and laughed and Emma found herself wanting to join them. The song switched to something with a slower beat and the way Kevin pointed at Shelby when it started let Emma know he picked this one for her. Shelby pointed back at Kevin with an appreciative smile before grabbing Kaylee by the hips and dancing intimately enough with Kaylee that Emma had to look away.

Her eyes found Alyssa, who was swaying along with her eyes closed. She looked oddly peaceful as she danced seemingly in her own little world. After a moment, her eyes opened. A smile spread across her face when she realized that Emma was watching her again. Alyssa winked at Emma before her dancing became more deliberate, more intimate. 

Their gaze stayed locked as Alyssa’s hips moved to the beat. Her hands began smoothing over her own body, feeling down her thighs as she dipped low, before one traveled up the center of her torso, over her chest. They slid up her neck and into her hair, taking out the clip that had been holding part of her hair up, shaking her curls back into place.

Emma’s mouth went dry as she watched Alyssa’s hands touch where Emma’s ached to. Her fingers tapped her thighs that were now clenching together. She knew for her own personal health she should look away, but she couldn’t dare do it. Whatever trance she was under, she had fallen willingly.

Her mind was screaming “Abort! Abort! Abort!” as her feet carried her to the dance floor and towards Alyssa, whose smile was growing as the distance between them minimized. She still kept a couple feet of space between them because she hadn’t completely lost he mind yet, but she just _had_ to be closer to Alyssa. 

When Alyssa’s grin faltered as her eyes grazed Emma’s now moving body, any self consciousness Emma might have felt about dancing immediately faded away. In fact, it gave her more confidence to give Alyssa a little taste of her own medicine, letting her hands wander similarly to how Alyssa’s had - with purpose. Alyssa’s motions began to slow as her dark eyes became heavy on Emma. 

As if remembering where they were, Alyssa shook her head slightly and put her usual smile back on her face as she picked back up her dancing. She was heading not to Emma, but right past her and Emma tangled her hands in her blonde hair to keep them from reaching out to Alyssa. 

She was so focused on trying to maintain from self control that she almost missed Alyssa whisper, “Down the hall, third door on the left. Wait a few minutes.”

Emma watched Alyssa saunter off in the direction she had just mentioned and then glanced at her watch so she could accurately gauge the timelapse. Once a few minutes had passed, she mouthed “bathroom” to Shelby who gave her a thumbs up before Emma dashed off down the poorly lit hallway. 

Emma passed both the women’s and men’s restrooms before stopping outside a door marked “Do Not Enter”. Thinking she might have heard Alyssa wrong, she hesitated outside the door. She was looking further down the hall for other options that might seem more likely when she heard the door open and felt herself being pulled inside a pitch black room.

Familiar hands pushed her against the door as it closed while unmistakable lips met her own. The kiss was heated from the start, neither being able to get enough. Emma would bite and Alyssa would lick and hands were wandering everywhere. They couldn’t have been closer to each other, but that didn’t stop them from trying. 

Emma’s hands squeezed at Alyssa’s hips before moving up slightly under Alyssa’s shirt, feeling the warm smooth skin of Alyssa’s waist. Her fingers traveled up further and further, expecting to find their usual stopping point: Alyssa’s bra. When they met the tender skin where Alyssa’s breasts began, Emma moaned at the realization Alyssa wasn’t wearing one tonight.

“We may be worse at this than we thought,” Emma mumbled against Alyssa’s lips.

“I’d say we’re _very_ good at this,” Alyssa replied, letting her hands slip around Emma and slide with the back pockets of her jeans, squeezing tightly and pulling Emma closer.

“You know what I meant,” Emma breathed, letting her hands cup Alyssa’s breasts, kneading firmly and eliciting a whimper out of Alyssa.

Alyssa teased Emma’s bottom lip between her teeth before she said, “Let’s just think of this as a pause in the game.”

Emma nodded as her mouth worked along Alyssa’s jaw and down her neck. As difficult as it was, she made sure to hold back and be careful not to leave any marks until her mouth was low enough, just above the fabric on Alyssa’s shirt. Her hand reached up to pull it down enough that she could latch her mouth onto the sensitive skin at the top of her breast. 

“Oh fuck,” Alyssa moaned at her head fell back against the door. She tangled both her hands in Emma’s hair, scratching roughly against her scalp and urging her lower. Knowing they couldn’t go much further, Emma let herself indulge in this one thing, kissing lower until her mouth found Alyssa’s nipple. 

Alyssa whimpered, pushing her chest out in a desperate attempt for more. Emma obliged, gently toying the firm peak between her teeth before soothing it with her tongue. Alyssa’s grip tightened in Emma’s hair as she moaned her name out, causing the pool of heat deep within Emma to grow. 

Emma began to slow her actions down, not trusting herself to stop if she let it go on any longer. Alyssa let out a heavy sigh, realizing what Emma was doing. Emma’s tongue swirled one more time before she started a light trail of kisses back up to Alyssa’s lips. They kissed lazily while they both tried to catch their breath and let their heart rates return to normal. 

Resting her forehead against Alyssa’s, Emma sighed. “I don’t know how I’m gonna go back out there without a cold shower first.”

“Right?” Alyssa said, filling the small space with commiserating laughter. “Oh, I know. It’s not quite the same as a cold shower, but I imagine it’ll have a similar effect.”

Emma watched curiously as Alyssa pulled out her phone and flipped through it before showing the screen to Emma. Emma burst out laughing as she found herself looking at a picture of Luke, in a robe and head towel, just like the one Alyssa had been wearing earlier, looking grumpy and uncomfortable. “That did help. Thank you.”

By now, her eyes had adjusted to the dark and she could mostly make out Alyssa’s appearance when she pulled back. Her lipstick was smudged everywhere and Emma could only imagine what her own face looked like. 

Emma got her answer when Alyssa’s eyes covered every inch of her face before giggling uncontrolably. Emma wiped aimlessly at her face before Alyssa grabbed her hand and moved it away so she could help Emma. She wet her thumb and began wiping around Emma’s mouth, until she gave a satisfied nod indicating that the incriminating lipstick had all been removed and moved on to taming her blonde curls. 

Once they were both seemingly presentable, they shared one more lingering kiss before Alyssa was pushing Emma out the door. “You go back first, I’ll wait and tell them I ran into someone I knew.”

Alyssa slapped Emma’s butt on her way out and Emma laughed at how ridiculous this all was. When she walked back into the main room, she found everyone had gotten a second drink to enjoy while taking a break from dancing. Emma sat back down next to Shelby, who handed her another drink that she had apparently ordered her. Shelby smiled blissfully at her and they cheersed their glasses.

After a few minutes, Alyssa rejoined them, giving her excuse of running into a familiar face. When nobody seemed to question it, the two exchanged pleased smiles that quickly faded when Shelby asked, “Alyssa, weren’t you wearing lipstick earlier?”

//

“That was too close. I’m sorry, Em.” Alyssa said as they brushed their teeth next to each other in the bathroom.

“Please don’t apologize, Lys. I wanted to do that just as much as you did, I just didn’t know about that closet or whatever that room was.” Emma responded, looking at Alyssa in the mirror with sincerity. “Besides, Shelby should’ve just minded her own business rather than asking about lipstick you may or may not have been wearing.”

Alyssa laughed, lifting some weight off of Emma’s chest. “I mean, I wouldn’t be the first person to decide to take their lipstick off randomly. It happens all the time, probably.”

“Totally. All the time.” Emma repeated, grinning at Alyssa. “For reasons that have nothing to do with a hot makeout session in dark… storage rooms? Seriously, what was that place?”

Alyssa spit out her toothpaste, dried her face, and kissed Emma’s cheek. “Don’t worry about, Em.”

Emma wiped her own face clean before looking at Alyssa with mild concern. “What does that even mean?”

Alyssa still didn’t answer, but rather bounced her eyebrows up at Emma with a smirk on her face.

Emma squinted for a moment before deciding that she really didn’t care what the original purpose of the room was because no matter what it could be, she would always prefer the way they chose to use it. With a shrug, Emma said, “We’ll just be more careful for the rest of the weekend.”

Alyssa nodded. “Much more careful. I mean, maybe it’s out of our system now anyways.”

“Yeah, for sure.” Emma said, knowing full well that neither of them believed that to be true. “Oh, there was something else I wanted to talk about.”

“Anything, babe.”

Emma chewed the inside of her cheeks for a moment. “I wanna go talk to Shelby’s family.”

“Oh?” Alyssa responded, her eyebrows rising and eyes growing.

“Yeah,” Emma nodded once with confidence. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and although Shelby says it doesn’t bother her, I just know there’s a small part of her that will be looking for them in the crowd while she’s standing up there. I don’t know if it’ll do any good, but I want to try. For Shelby.”

Alyssa looked at Emma with fondness, reaching out and holding one of Emma’s hands. “I think that’s a nice idea, Em. I can take you to their house tomorrow? Before the rehearsal dinner?” 

“Thank you, Alyssa. That would mean a lot to me.” 

Emma grabbed Alyssa’s other hand so she was now holding both. She squeezed gently, not wanting the next part to come. 

It was probably silly, but this would be the first time in months they didn’t sleep in the same bed and Emma wasn’t quite ready to say goodnight. She couldn’t be certain but from the look in Alyssa’s eyes, Emma would guess she felt the same way. They stood there for a moment, both women reluctant to part. 

Emma was grateful when Alyssa made the first move to kiss her softly. “Goodnight, Emma. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah, goodnight, Alyssa.” Emma replied with a half smile.

Emma watched as Alyssa opened her door and slipped into the other room, her heart dropping the second Alyssa was out of sight. She returned to her own room, crawling into bed and trying to convince herself that one night apart wouldn’t kill her.

Emma couldn’t have been in bed for more than five minutes when she heard a gentle knock on the door. Sitting up in her bed, she softly said, “Come in.”

Emma was squinting at the door through darkness, curious as to who it was. She heard the twisting of the door handle and the sound of the door opening, but nothing had moved. It wasn’t until she heard a familiar voice whisper, “Can I lay down with you for a bit?” that Emma even realized the knock had come from the bathroom door, and not the one that led to the hallway. 

When she turned to find Alyssa tiptoeing her way in, her body instantly felt lighter, happier.

“Please,” was all Emma responded with as she turned onto her side and lifted the covers for Alyssa to slip in.

“Emma?” Alyssa said softly before kissing Emma and draping an arm around her torso, snuggling close.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to miss you anymore.”

Emma pressed her lips to Alyssa’s head, closing her eyes and mumbling, “Me neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these dummies... Thanks so much for reading, as always, and a special thanks for those who kudos and comment. It means the world to me!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE THANKS TO ONLYTAKESATASTE! She let me yell about this chapter for days like a true gem. If you haven't already, please go read her fics. The Winter ones truly melt my heart!
> 
> TW: Homophobia

When Emma woke up the next day, she basked in the peace she felt lying in Alyssa’s arms. It was rare for Emma to wake up before Alyssa, so she liked to treasure these moments especially. Her body tingled with warmth and she prayed there never came a day when she took this comfort for granted. She was extra grateful for the feeling of security this morning as she remembered their secret errand for the day.

Stroking Alyssa’s hair gently, Emma kissed her forehead before easing her from slumber. “Lys, babe, it’s time to wake up.”

Slowly blinking her eyes open, Alyssa tilted her head up to squint at Emma. “I’m sorry, who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend? She would never be awake before me.”

Fireworks shot off in Emma’s chest as she smiled like an idiot. “Girlfriend?”

“Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean that. Just… sleepy brain, ya know?” 

Emma chuckled. “Yeah, I know more than anyone about the sleepy brain. But please don’t apologize. I liked it and I hope we can talk more about it once everything is a little less messy?”

Alyssa pressed up to kiss Emma before snuggling back into her chest and mumbling. “Definitely. Once things are less messy.”

Shaking her torso playfully, Emma said, “Don’t go back to sleep. We gotta get up!”

“I’m not sure how I feel about this role reversal…” Alyssa grumbled, burrowing deeper into Emma.

“Baaaabe,” Emma laughed, tickling at Alyssa’s sides and causing her to squirm enough that Emma could slide out from under her. Even once Emma was off the bed, Alyssa still flopped face first into a pillow, lifting up an arm to wave Emma off and mumbling what she guessed was “go on without me”.

Emma shook her head, laughing quietly at the sight. If this was what Alyssa had to deal with every morning, Emma would need to buy a pool sized gift basket to make up for it.

It didn’t take Emma too long to get ready. She decided to wait to shower till after they returned from their errand so she was fresh for the rehearsal dinner. Besides, it wasn’t like she was really trying to impress Shelby’s folks much. 

As she made her way downstairs, she tried to come up with a convincing enough lie for Shelby and Kaylee as to where her and Alyssa were running off to that morning. Much to her relief, she found a note on the kitchen table from Kaylee explaining that the two were spending the morning and afternoon with her parents. 

The drive there wasn’t too long, but Emma was still grateful that Alyssa was there to take her, because she surely would’ve gotten lost on all the backroads they had to take. 

Emma wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but as they pulled into the driveway, she could help but notice how the house seemed off to her. It was a decently sized two story, but had definitely seen its many years of weather and was in need of obvious renovations, if not at least a new coat of paint. 

Alyssa turned off the car and took out the keys, but neither girl moved, both simply staring at the house. 

“You don’t have to come in with me, Alyssa. Driving me here was enough of a favor.” Emma said.

“Of course I’m going to go in with you.” Alyssa responded with sincerity. “Not as a favor, but because I want to be there for you. We’re a team now, Em. I go where you go, so long as you’ll let me.”

Emma turned her head to look at Alyssa, falling into warm brown eyes and offering a small smile in return. 

The two made their way up the path and stopped at the front door. Emma took a deep breath, seeking courage and only finding it when she felt Alyssa’s hand on the small of her back. Exhaling, Emma knocked firmly on the tattered door. 

After a minute, a small woman opened the door, wide enough to also reveal a man leaning against the wall behind her but not enough to be considered inviting. Emma hardly recognized Shelby’s parents. They looked… tired and aged. Emma had spent months thinking of them as monsters in her head, but now standing here looking at their worn expressions, they looked so painfully human. 

“Hi,” was all Emma could manage in that moment.

Mrs. Gonzales looked between Emma and Alyssa, her curious look shifting into confusion. “Alyssa Greene? And… Emily?”

“Emma,” Alyssa corrected her. “Hello, Mr and Mrs Gonzales.” 

The woman stared on for another moment longer as if trying to piece everything together with no real evidence at all. Eventually, she shook her head lightly, opening the door further. “Please, come in.”

Emma looked at Alyssa, finding strength once more and following Shelby’s mother through their home and into the living room, taking a seat on their sofa. Alyssa took the place beside Emma as Shelby’s parents sat in chairs across from them. 

Emma cleared her throat. “Thank you for inviting us in, Mrs Gonzales. You have a lovely-”

“What is this about?” Mr Gonzales cut her off, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. His voice was more gruff than Emma remembered, but it fell less aggressive and more defensive in a way Emma couldn’t truly explain.

“We, uh… Well, I wanted to…” Although Emma had rehearsed this conversation in her head a hundred times, she still felt unprepared for the real thing, but when she felt Alyssa’s leg press against hers, she started again, more confidently this time. “I’m here to talk about Shelby.”

Mr. Gonzales leaned back in his chair while his wife turned her head down, staring determinedly at her hands in her lap. “And what about our daughter?” he asked.

“As I’m sure you know, she’s getting married tomorrow,” Emma continued.

With a small nod, he replied, “Yes, we are aware.”

“Right,” Emma swallowed. “As you know, Shelby and I have been very close for many years now. She’s my best friend and I know her better than I know anybody else in my life and although she’s too stubborn to admit it, I know it would mean the world to her if you two were there.”

Mr. Gonzales straightened in his seat, his face remaining emotionless. “Shelby knows how we feel about this… union. It’s against everything we believe, everything she was raised to believe.” 

Emma’s eyebrows dropped, but she reminded herself to stay calm. “If you would just see them together, really _see_ them, you’d realize how happy she is and how good Kaylee is for her.”

“She could be happy with a man too. This isn’t the way we raised her and we don’t need people thinking we condone this behavior. Shelby knows that if she chooses to go through with this, we cannot support her.” Mr. Gonzales’ voice began to rise and he turned his glare to Alyssa before continuing. “And we don’t need the one who first put these ideas in her head to come into our home and judge our choices.”

Emma stood up, balling her fists at her side. Mr. Gonzales mirrored Emma’s stance, standing up as well and pulling his shoulders back and appearing larger than before, but Emma was too angry to be intimidated. “Do not speak to Alyssa that way. She has been nothing but supportive and loving to your daughter when Shelby needed it most. Shelby is lucky to have such an amazing person in her life to balance out all the negativity.”

“Ah, I get it now,” he said, pointing at Emma in a way that made her a little queasy. “Alyssa got to you too.”

“If you say one more thing-” Emma started before she was interrupted by Alyssa rising beside her and squeezing her arm. 

“I appreciate you defending me, but this isn’t why we’re here, Em,” Alyssa whispered, gently tugging her arm so they both sat back down.

Emma sighed heavily, realizing that Alyssa was right. She reset her tone, knowing that as difficult as it might be, anger was not the best approach. “People don’t turn away from being straight. It’s just who they are, one small but beautiful part of who they are.”

Mr. Gonzales sat down again as well, leaning back and crossing his arms, looking Emma over before asking, “Do you have a daughter, Emma?”

“I do not, sir.” 

“Then you cannot possibly understand what it is like. We held that little girl in our arms and promised to give her the best life, provide for her the best we could. We raised her with love and God and kept her warm and fed. We taught her right from wrong and we set her up for success. And then she goes away from us for college, not even a year, and what does she do? She throws away every sacrifice we made for her to be with some girl.” 

“It’s not some girl, though, and you know that,” Emma said before taking a deep breath. “Look, I may not know what it’s like to have a daughter, but you don’t know what it’s like to be told your love is wrong. Just because she happened to fall in love with a woman, doesn’t make it any less real or beautiful. People can’t help who they fall in love with.” Emma’s eyes flickered sideways to meet Alyssa’s for a fleeting moment before returning to Shelby’s father. “Your daughter is safe and happy and loved. If I ever did have a daughter? That’s all I would hope for them.”

“Shelby is the best thing that ever happened to us. She is bright and sweet and driven. We do support and love her,” Mr Gonzales said, shaking his head. “Just not with this. We cannot support and love the choice she is making.”

“The choice to be happy?” 

While Emma’s last words hung in the air, she heard a muffled cry and her attention was drawn to Mrs. Gonzales for the first time since the conversation started. She still had her head down, but Emma could see a steady stream of tears rolling down her nose, falling off the tip and landing into her lap.

Standing up again, Mr Gonzales spoke, voice low, “I think it’s time you two left.”

Pulling an invitation out of her pocket, Emma set it on the table. Her voice was tired but steady as she added, “Shelby is still the same strong, brilliant, and kind daughter you raised. Either be there for her tomorrow or let her go. But right now you are killing her. You are killing her slowly, and I think if you’d be honest with yourself, you’d realize this is killing you too.”

Grabbing Alyssa’s hand, Emma led them out of the house and back to the car. 

The drive back was silent, somber. Neither Alyssa nor Emma had said a word and Emma had spent most of the duration staring out the window. As much as she pulled together to stay strong and collected in from of the Gonzales’, the second the car door closed and they took off everything came crashing down upon her. 

She was deep in thought, trying to process everything she was feeling and replaying every moment, wondering where she went wrong and what more she could have said to get through to them. She was blindsided by her first true run in with that kind of hate and it all happened so fast that she barely felt like she had time to really think about what she wanted to say. She had been foolish in thinking they would be more reasonable. 

How could it be so hard to make them see how much they were hurting Shelby? Or _care_ how much they were hurting Shelby? Why couldn’t they understand that she was still their same little girl they preached so much about wanting the best for?

Emma was pulled from her spiral when she felt Alyssa’s hand finds hers, squeezing it firmly. When Emma finally looked at Alyssa for the first time since they started the journey back home, she found a soft expression, one she’d never quite seen before but immediately draped her in a sense of security. 

That’s all it took, one small gesture from Alyssa, to let Emma finally release everything she had been feeling. It started with a strangled sob and soon after tears were breaking loose from her eyes, flowing down her face so abundantly Emma wasn’t sure how she could even produce enough liquid to sustain the stream. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as she wept and her whimpers echoed through the small space of the car. Her chest felt heavy, tight, as if all the emotions she’d been holding onto got backed up there, waiting their turn to be felt. 

Alyssa squeezed Emma’s hand tighter while she found a safe place to pull over. She put the car into park, unbuckled her seatbelt and turned in her seat to face Emma. She brought Emma’s hand up to her mouth, placing a light kiss on her knuckles before switching it to her other hand. With her newly free hand, Alyssa wrapped her fingers behind Emma’s neck, scratching comfortingly into blonde hair while she let Emma feel everything she had been holding in. 

As Emma’s crying began to slow down, she took a few minutes to try and steady her breath, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth until it wasn’t quite as shaky. Alyssa stayed there, strong and supportive as Emma took the time she needed to calm down. She was present without being overbearing and it was exactly what Emma needed as she collected her thoughts. 

“I just… I don’t understand.” Emma started through sniffles, her gaze fixated on her free hand that was now fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “I don’t understand how they could love every other part of their daughter but let this one thing ruin their relationship with her. They are letting so much pain and suffering go around because of one part of her life that they refuse to understand.”

Using the hand that wasn’t being held, Emma wiped her tears away the best she could and shook her head frantically. Alyssa’s hands held firmly where they were as she listened intently.

After a moment of silence, Emma started again, so hushed that if the car hadn’t been completely quiet, she’s not sure Alyssa would have heard her. “My parents and I stopped talking after the last election. We’d never really gotten along. They were always… intense and strict, even though I was straight at the time - or rather, I thought I was. And even then, we never stood a chance at sustaining a relationship. Once I was independent enough, I started standing up to them more and we ended up getting into a huge fight when the last president was elected and I made the choice to cut them off. They didn’t fight me on it, but it was still my choice.”

Emma paused, collecting her thoughts before she continued. “I just… I couldn’t imagine if we had gotten along my whole life and only to have them hate me because I love a woman. I couldn’t imagine that _one_ thing about me - my favorite thing about me - being what ruined our entire relationship. If there is one thing I’ve come to learn, it’s that this heart is the best part of me. And this?” Emma said, motioning between her and Alyssa. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Sure, I was fine before, but now? I’m the best I’ve ever been and I couldn’t imagine having to associate that with loss.

“I’m sorry, I guess I never realized… We’ve been pretty lucky in our New York bubble and I guess I’d never really thought about having to be faced with such hate and now it just all feels so _real_. This is Shelby’s reality now, and any day it could be mine too. It could be ours.” Emma shook her head as she felt tears begin to rush her eyes again. “I’m just overwhelmed and don’t want to think or feel anymore. I don’t… I can’t… Alyssa, will you please just take me back now?”

The hand that had been around Emma’s neck slid to caress her cheek and Alyssa rubbed her thumb gently over skin red from grief. Her face was painted with empathy as she nodded and promised, “I’ll take care of you, Em.” She let her thumb stroke Emma’s cheek one more time before buckling her seatbelt and continuing their drive back to the house.

Not another word was said as they finished their journey home and pulled into the driveway. Alyssa got out first, making her way to Emma’s side of the car, opening the door and taking her by the hand. 

In a heavy but merciful silence, Alyssa held onto Emma’s hand, slowly leading her into the house, up the stairs, and through the bedroom. Only once they were standing in the bathroom did they stop, Alyssa releasing Emma’s hand and turning on the shower. 

Emma stood there, feeling drained, empty, as she watched Alyssa move around the bathroom before returning to stand in front of her. She wanted to reach out and touch Alyssa, hold onto her tight, but the weight of their day held her down, practically paralyzing her where she stood. Her throat was hoarse and dry from crying earlier, but it didn’t matter - she knew she wouldn’t be able to speak if she wanted to. So she did all that she could do and fell into brown eyes, letting them wrap her in warmth that seemed to be whispering to her that everything would be okay.

Emma wasn’t sure when or how Alyssa learned to read her so fluently, but she had never been more grateful for it than in this moment as Alyssa reached out her hands to cup Emma’s face, holding it tenderly, before sliding them down her body until they found the hem of Emma’s shirt. Alyssa smoothed the fabric between her fingers until Emma lifted her arms, giving a small nod and allowing Alyssa to slowly remove her shirt.

Once it was off and neatly dropped to the floor, Alyssa’s hands reached for Emma’s pants. With more permission, Alyssa undid the button and knelt down to help Emma step out of them. Emma continued to watch, hoping Alyssa could hear her heart calling out to her while her words could not. 

When Alyssa stood back up, she tucked a blonde curl behind Emma’s ears, holding her gaze again as her fingers traced Emma’s bra strap. With another bob of her head, Alyssa reached behind Emma to unhook the clasp, sliding the straps down Emma’s arms until it joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. Then Emma nodded one last time as Alyssa’s fingers sat above the waistband of her underwear.

After her last piece of clothing was removed, Emma let Alyssa guide her into the shower, one hand on her lower back and the other holding her elbow. Humid air filled her lungs as she entered the small space, breathing in what felt like her first breath in hours. 

Even with the hot water falling over her body, Emma still felt a chill run over her as Alyssa’s hands left her skin. Emma turned around to find Alyssa walking away, her heart immediately lurching towards her. She reached out desperately, grabbing her arm before she got too far.

When Alyssa looked back at her, Emma prayed her eyes would convey her desire for Alyssa to stay. Alyssa tilted her head, studying Emma for a moment before undressing as well, slowly, almost as if she wanted to give Emma time to change her mind.

But Emma didn’t. She was so exhausted, mentally and emotionally, and all she knew was that Alyssa made her feel safe and at peace.

Once entirely bare, Alyssa stepped into the shower and in front of Emma, who stepped backwards under the water, watching Alyssa as her hands reached up to run through blonde hair. Emma closed her eyes and let her head fall back with the movement. She stayed there for a moment, letting the water wash over her, not sure which was more relaxing: the steady, warm stream flowing over her body or knowing she was in Alyssa’s hands in every sense of the phrase.

The next thing Emma felt was Alyssa pulling her forward, out of the water. Tilting her head back down, Emma looked at Alyssa again, finding hope and comfort. Alyssa grabbed the bottle of shampoo, squeezing a dollop onto her palm before rubbing her hands together and into blonde hair. Emma’s eyes closed again as she lost herself in Alyssa’s soothing touch once more. 

Emma sighed as adept fingers massaged into her scalp, washing away her worries by the second. Alyssa gently guided Emma back, nudging her chin up enough that she could rinse Emma’s hair, running her fingers through enough times to be sure all the soap washed out. She kept her eyes closed, feeling as Alyssa repeated the same steps with conditioner. 

Emma wondered if she should be alarmed by how easily and completely her body, heart, and soul had surrendered to Alyssa in that moment, but as she let the solace envelop her she knew there couldn’t be anything wrong with something that made her feel so complete. It was as if each time Alyssa’s hands found Emma, she put another piece of her back into place. 

Emma hummed as Alyssa’s hands began to rub soap over her body, starting at her chest, running over her shoulders and up to press soothingly behind her ears, before dragging back down her arms. Alyssa turned Emma around, pressing a light kiss to her shoulder that served as a quiet reminder that everything was going to be okay. After Alyssa finished her ministrations with the backside of Emma, she spun her forward once more. 

Emma opened her eyes again, watching as Alyssa took care of her, just as she promised, covering every inch of Emma in suds and affection. As if enough weight had been removed from Emma, her arm was able to lift, resting a hand on Alyssa’s chest. Beneath her palm, she could feel the gentle, steady beat of Alyssa’s heart, each thump echoing through Emma’s hand, up her arm, and directly into her own heart. Alyssa placed her hands over Emma’s, holding it there tightly.

Their eyes stayed locked as Emma studied them, never wanting to forget this moment. 

Something was different. Something had changed. 

Along with the feeling of safety and comfort Emma felt an unmistakable sense of love. If she was being honest, the feeling had been around for much longer than just that day, but it was as if they had both been fighting it, trying to keep the sensation contained until a better time and Emma nearly laughed at the realization. If she had learned anything from meeting Alyssa, it was that she shouldn’t try and fight what her heart was telling her. 

Water got into Emma’s eyes and she tried blinking it away, unsuccessfully. It wasn’t until Alyssa removed one of her hands from atop Emma’s and used her thumb to swipe below Emma’s eyes that she even realized she had started crying again, not from anguish or sadness this time, but rather the overwhelming feelings she had for the woman in front of her. 

Alyssa let her hand still on Emma’s cheek and Emma leaned into the touch. Alyssa used her other hand to grab Emma’s, bringing it to her lips to press a firm kiss to the center of Emma’s palm before returning it to her chest. 

Words crept up Emma’s throat, but the longer she looked at Alyssa the more she knew she didn’t need to say anything in that moment. The feeling was so strong, flowing freely between them now, and Emma just knew Alyssa felt it too.

//

Once they were out of the shower, Alyssa held Emma as they laid in the bed taking a much needed nap before the rehearsal dinner. When Emma woke up, she felt whole again, more human than she had earlier that day. She knew it wouldn’t be easy to face Shelby after everything she experienced that morning but, thanks to Alyssa, Emma felt prepared to be strong for her friend. 

As they got ready for the evening, they were both still fairly quiet, but the silence was less heavy and more tranquil. 

Emma was in the bathroom, trying and failing to get her tie on properly, when Alyssa walked in to join her. Emma’s eyes flickered to her briefly, offering a smile that quickly faded as she did a double take, jaw dropping to the floor. “I… you…” Emma tried, shaking her head. “_Wow._”

Alyssa laughed as Emma’s brain scrambled for words to describe how _good_ Alyssa looked. Giving a small twirl, Alyssa asked, “So you like it?”

“I love it,” Emma said, subtly wiping her hand over her mouth, worried she might’ve been drooling. Alyssa was wearing black suit pants and a black suit jacket that buttoned low on her stomach. Her brown curls were pulled neatly to the side, laying over her shoulder. Dragging a finger down Alyssa’s bare chest and hooking over where the fabric of the jacket began to overlap, Emma asked, “Are you, uh, wearing anything under this?”

Alyssa raised an eyebrow as a smile played at her lips. “Well, wouldn’t you like to know, Miss Nolan?”

Still staring with her mouth slightly open, all Emma could do was nod dumbly in response.

Alyssa laughed again, a little louder, a little lighter, as she snaked an arm around Emma’s waist, pulling her close and pressing a lingering kiss to Emma’s lips. Emma’s eyes closed instinctually, sighing into the contact.

“You look pretty _wow_ yourself, Emma,” Alyssa said, drawing back and letting her fingers play with Emma’s undone tie. “May I?”

“Please,” Emma asked, trying not to sound as helpless as she felt.

Alyssa’s deft hands made quick work fastening Emma’s tie, her eyes flickering up to meet Emma’s halfway through, both women smiling tenderly at the other. When Alyssa finished, she smoothed the fabric down before looking at Emma once more. “There. Perfect.”

“Yeah, perfect,” Emma breathed, lost in Alyssa’s gaze. “Thank you. I should probably learn how to do that on my own , huh?”

Alyssa shook her head before pressing up to kiss Emma again. “Nah, why would you do that when you’ll always have me to do it for you?”

A huge smile broke across Emma’s face as she said, “Good point.”

The two turned to face the mirror once more to give a final look over of themselves. Smiling as well, Alyssa bumped her shoulder playfully against Emma’s side. “We look pretty damn good if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, we do,” Emma chuckled, draping her arm around Alyssa’s shoulder and pressing a firm kiss to the top of her head.

They stayed like that for a moment before reluctantly separating and heading out for the rehearsal. 

//

The rehearsal itself went well. Emma would probably still be nervous about how to walk and where to stand if Alyssa wasn’t her aisle partner. It was just another thing in Emma’s life made easier by the presence of Alyssa. Of course, it also probably helped that Emma was more focused on not giving away how much she was enjoying the sensation of walking down the aisle with Alyssa and less focused on her nerves about the wedding itself.

The subsequential dinner was simple but elegant. It was hosted at Kaylee and Shelby’s house, a long table set up in their backyard under a pergola decorated with vines and fairy lights. The weather was perfect and the sun would be setting soon, lighting up the scene with a warm glow.

Emma felt content as she glanced around at all the gleeful faces laughing and talking and simply enjoying the celebration. Emma had luckily scored a seat far from Luke and Kaylee practically pushed Alyssa in the open chair next to her, saving them from having to come up with a reason to sit near each other. 

Nearly everyone had finished eating and were appreciating their drinks at this point of the evening. Shelby and Kaylee made their rounds, hand in hand, talking to their friends and family that attended the dinner. Emma watched, unable to stop smiling at how purely enthused the couple looked. It was wild to think in less than 24 hours, they would finally be saying “I do”.

“They look so happy,” Alyssa whispered, resting her hands on the table and leaning closer to Emma.

“They really do, don’t they?” Emma said with a light sigh. They watched the couple a moment longer before Emma turned over to look at Alyssa. She looked impossibly beautiful with the setting sun making her glow just a little more than usual. Emma reached out, running her index finger over Alyssa’s shoulder to correct a stray piece of hair. Alyssa smiled softly at her and Emma might have gotten lost in it if she hadn’t suddenly realized what she’d done, turning forward and shoving her hands back into her lap. She found the first person she saw and tried to busy herself with them. “Hey, uh, Greg. How are you doing?”

“Hey, Em!” Greg said smiling brightly at her. “I’m stuffed. Dinner was so good, but I’m afraid I won’t fit into my suit for tomorrow.”

Emma laughed, a little forced, before patting her belly. “I think I might be in that same boat with you tomorrow.”

“I couldn’t think of better company!” Greg replied, stopping a moment to take a sip of his drink. “Tomorrow’s gonna be quite the event. I can’t wait to hear you speech tomorrow. Are you nervous at all?”

Emma’s eyes grew and her eyebrows knotted on her forehead. “My what?”

“Your speech? As maid of honor?” Greg repeated, sounding slightly confused.

Emma looked to Alyssa as horror roared through her. Alyssa glanced at her before doing a double take, the second time disbelief covering her features. “Em, you can’t be serious. You didn’t know about the speech?”

“You never mentioned a speech!”

“Sorry, Em. I’m sure you’ll come up with something great though. Good luck!” Greg offered before her turned to talk to Kevin. 

“I mean, I thought a speech was the one maid of honor thing everyone knew about,” Alyssa said giving her a sympathetic look.

Emma slumped back in her chair groaning. “What am I even supposed to say?”

“Whatever you want, babe.” Alyssa said, her voice low as she snuck a hand under the table to rub comfortingly up and down Emma’s thigh. “Honestly, it doesn’t have to be anything big. You can tell a sweet story or just wish them luck. Mine isn’t anything too extravagant.”

“I doubt that,” Emma mumbled, letting her head hit the back of her chair.

Alyssa’s hand stopped its motions to squeeze firmly, holding on as she said, “Don’t stress it, Em. That’ll only make it harder to write. Why don’t you head upstairs now to work on it some and I can help you with it later if you still need it?”

“Yeah, good idea. You’re right. You’re always right, Alyssa Greene.” Emma said with a sigh and a nod. Alyssa tried to hold back a smile at the compliment, and Emma felt a rush of adoration for the woman beside her. “I’ll see ya in a bit.”

Emma stood up to leave but before she made her exit, she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Alyssa’s cheek. 

Alyssa rushed Emma’s name out in a hushed and panicked tone, causing Emma to freeze in place with her lips on Alyssa’s skin. She pulled back slowly, unsure if the room was actually growing quiet or if it was just in her head. She swallowed hard as she looked around to find most, if not all, eyes on her. 

“I, uh, just got super sleepy. I’m gonna head out early.” Emma announced with an exaggerated yawn, scratching her back and trying not to notice the look of utter bewilderment on Shelby’s face. Then, in a move Emma is not sure she’d ever be able to explain, she turned to Nick, who had been sitting on the other side of Alyssa, and did the only thing she could think of in that moment. 

Emma kissed him on the cheek.

She told him goodnight before going to Kevin next, kissing him on the cheek and saying goodnight as well. Emma caught a quick glimpse of Alyssa, who looked equal parts amused and horrified, and cursed herself for her poor thinking on her feet. Of the many things she'd done in her life, this was perhaps the dumbest. 

But it was too late. She'd committed to this cover up and continued to make her way around the table, kissing each cheek, saying goodnight, and dying a little more inside each person she parted with. When she got to Luke, she patted his cheek and quickly moved onto kiss the next cheek. At one point, she heard someone whisper, “Is this a city thing?” but she couldn’t bring herself to see where the question came from, let alone address it. No, not without completely withering away into nothingness, which honestly didn't sound like the worst fate right now.

Saving her best friend for last, Emma could hardly make eye contact as she leaned in to kiss Shelby’s cheek. She braced herself for a question or ten, but when she pulled back to say goodnight, Shelby just stared at her as if petrified, shaking her head in the smallest movement.

“Well, uh, I think that was everyone. Goodnight!” Emma stammered, sneaking one last glance at Alyssa, who looked like she was one more cheek kiss away from breaking into a hysterical fit of laughter. 

Emma kept her walking at a normal pace, but the second she was inside and out of sight, she bolted up the stairs, falling face first onto her mattress. She heard her phone _ding_ and debated looking at it before picking it up to read the message. 

**Alyssa: I think it’s safe to say I won this round as well. I'll be up in a bit.**

Emma tossed her phone, burying her face in her pillow and letting out a long groan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for everyone who is still reading, and kudos-ing, and most of all, commenting. I can't believe there's only one more chapter to go!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it is I, a liar. I decided to split the last two chapters up because I'm feelin wild. Anyways, here is part 1 of the finale! Thanks to my sweet bby angels thatonegayone and fives for keepin me sayin while finishing this bit up and giving me some fun ideas for the end!

Emma woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and recharged. She made good work on her speech before Alyssa returned to the room to help her polish it up. It actually hadn’t taken her quite as long as she had thought it might and they were able to go to bed at a reasonable time. 

With the warmth and comfort of Alyssa’s weight on her chest, Emma nearly forgotten the disaster that was her exit at the rehearsal dinner. In an effort to push those thoughts far enough back for another day when she was ready to laugh about it, Emma pulled Alyssa closer and began tracing patterns on her back. 

A content hum vibrated against her chest before she felt lips pressing a kiss through her shirt and onto her chest. “Good morning, baby.”

Alyssa’s voice was raspy from sleep and the combination of that and the pet name sent a thrill through Emma before she responded. “Good morning, Lys.”

“Did you sleep okay?” Alyssa asked, still curled tightly into her. 

Emma placed a kiss onto wild hair before answering, “I always sleep well with you in my arms.”

Alyssa readjusted a bit until her chin was resting atop one of her hands and she was looking at Emma with such affection as she used her free hand to tuck a stray blonde curl back into place. “You’re cute, you know that?”

Smiling shyly, Emma wondered if there would come a day when compliments from Alyssa didn’t affect her quite as much. Still not sure how to react in situations like this, Emma turned her head and placed a kiss to the palm of Alyssa’s hand that was still lingering near her cheek before changing the subject. “Can I just say thank you again for yesterday? I honestly don’t know how I would’ve done it without you.”

“You can,” Alyssa said. “But I’ll still say you don’t need to thank me, Em. I wanted to be there for you. I always want to be there for you, good times and bad, so long as you’ll let me.”

“Always, Lys. As long as I can be there for you too, good times and bad.” Emma paused for a moment, studying Alyssa’s face and memorizing every soft detail as the morning sun shone onto her. “I love you, Alyssa. I have for a while now and I know we were trying to wait until we talked to our friends first, but I can’t pretend I don’t anymore. 

“I love you too, Emma,” Alyssa replied, a bright smile on her face and tears pooling in her eyes. “We can control the labels and our actions, but we can’t control our hearts and how we feel. I love you so much.”

Emma’s smile spread with each word Alyssa spoke until she couldn’t smile any wider. “God, it feels good to finally say it. I love you.”

Giggling, Alyssa buried her face into Emma’s chest for a moment before lifting her head to look back at Emma, this time with more weight in her gaze. Alyssa rolled further onto Emma until completely on top of her, lifting up on her hands to push herself up further until her face was hovering above Emma’s, her hair curtaining them. Emma’s hands found Alyssa’s hips, holding firmly and rubbing small circles against the sliver of skin exposed there between her sleep shorts and shirt. “I love your kind heart that’s big enough to care about everyone you meet.”

Emma wanted to say something in response, but Alyssa had a look in her eyes that said she wasn’t finished yet, so Emma did all she could do and watched as Alyssa slowly lowered her head. 

“I love how you can find light in even the darkest of situations.”

Alyssa’s eyes flickered over every inch of Emma’s face as she continued to close the space between them.

“I love how beautiful you are in every sense of the word.”

Emma’s stomach swooped as Alyssa’s words echoed through to her heart.

“I love that you’ll do anything to make the people in your life happy.”

Alyssa was close enough now that Emma felt her breath warm against her lips.

“I love that you are the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met and I love that you chose me to love and to get to love you.”

Emma’s body felt electric by now as Alyssa’s lips brushed against Emma’s with her last words and Emma closed her eyes in anticipation for the actual kiss. 

But just as she expected the much desired contact, a harsh knock came from her door followed shortly by Kaylee’s voice. “Emma, are you awake?”

In a panic, Emma went to push Alyssa off of her, while Alyssa was already scrambling to get off Emma herself, and the combination of both forces sent her farther than either intended, toppling over and off the bed, hitting the floor with a thud. 

“Emma, is everything okay?”

Ignoring Kaylee, Emma leaned over to check on Alyssa, whispering, “I’m so sorry, Lys, are you-”

“I’m fine, Em, I promise just-”

They heard the door handle start to twist and Emma threw the comforter over Alyssa who covered herself quickly and stilled beneath the fabric just in time as the door swung open and a frantic Kaylee stepped into the room, immediately beginning to pace. “Is everything okay? I thought I heard you fall.” As if realizing Emma was still safe in bed, she continued on. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re awake. There was a leak at the venue and the entire place flooded overnight. They got the water out, but the damage was severe and we have to move the wedding. My family is already here setting up downstairs. Shelby is freaking out and I’m trying to stay calm, but Alyssa must still be asleep because she wasn’t answering when I knocked on her door and I’m trying very hard to stay calm for Shelby but I’m reaching my limit, Em, and… Why are you so out of breath?”

“I, uh, was still sleeping when you knocked and I was just startled is all,” Emma said, throwing in a yawn and an eye rub for good measure. 

Guilt flash over Kaylee’s feature and she quickly started apologizing. “Oh, Em, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. I just don’t know what to do and Alyssa wasn’t answering and I-” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. It’s okay, Kayls. Just breathe.” Emma said soothingly, mostly for the bride but also a subtle reminder for herself. “I’ll get up now and go stay with Shelby. I’m sure Alyssa will be up soon and between the wedding parties and your family, we’ll have this all sorted with ease. You and Shelby could get married in a swamp and it would still be the most beautiful wedding of the century. Everything it going to be okay.”

Kaylee stopped her pacing, taking a deep breath and smoothing out her hair. “You’re right, Em Besides, it doesn’t matter where we get married, just so long as we can get married, that’s all I care about.”

“Exactly. And I know Shelbs will feel the same way after she has some time to calm down herself.” Emma went on, watching as Kaylee straightened out her appearance, clearly busying herself with things she could control. She blew out a sharp breath before smiling and nodding at Emma. Her eyes drifted away from Emma to the comforter on the ground concealing Alyssa and Emma’s stomach dropped as Kaylee took a few steps towards it, reaching to pick it up. “Kaylee, no that’s okay, I’ll get it later-”

Emma’s sentence was cut off by her own breath hitching as Kaylee retrieved the blanket. Emma’s heart beat fast and she closed her eyes tight, unable to watch as Kaylee realized the reason Alyssa wasn’t answering the door to her own room was because she was in Emma’s. 

When she was met with a taunting silence, Emma slowly opened to eyes to find Kaylee setting down the now neatly folded comforter at the foot of her bed. Emma looked to the spot Alyssa had fallen moments ago to find it completely empty now. 

As if Alyssa had gotten tangled up in the blanket somehow, Emma lifted it and shook it out, earning a curious look from Kaylee. “I’m, uh, particular about how my blankets are folded,” she lied.

“Okay…” Kaylee said slowly, her eyes still squinted at Emma. Shaking her head, she started towards the bathroom door, explaining, “I’m gonna see if Alyssa is awake yet.”

Panic coursed through Emma as she still wasn’t sure where Alyssa had snuck off to. She jumped up and ran ahead of Kaylee, beating her to the bathroom door. “I can go wake her up for you.”

“I appreciate that, Em, but I’d like to get a chance to talk to her myself.” Kaylee replied, trying to reach around Emma for the door handle to the bathroom. 

“Okay, well would you mind going around the other way? I really need to pee. Thanks, see you in a bit,” Emma rushed her words before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. As soon as she heard her bedroom door close, she went back into her room and whispered, “Alyssa? Where the hell are you?”

“Clear?” Alyssa’s voice carried quietly through the room.

“Yes,” Emma said, looking around still not quite sure where the woman had gotten off to. After a second, Emma heard shifting beneath the bed and soon Alyssa emerged from under it. She stood up, dusting off her sleep pants and trying to tame her hair as Emma began to explain,“Kaylee went to check your room for you. There was a problem at the venue and-”

Alyssa cut her off with a quick kiss. “I know, babe. It’s not soundproof under there.” Alyssa motioned to the bed, before smirking at Emma. “Did you really check the blanket for me before you considered that I’d rolled under the bed?”

Emma groaned. “Of course you heard that too. Look, I think by now you know my brain doesn’t function well under pressure, but you can make fun of me for it later, okay? Right now the brides need their maids of honor.”

“Right,” Alyssa said, nodding. She was halfway through the door of the bathroom when she stopped, turned around, and said, “I love you, Emma Nolan.”

“I love you too, Alyssa Greene,” Emma said with a bright smile before she watched as Alyssa disappear behind the door. 

//

When Emma found Shelby in her room getting ready for the event, the bride was doing better than Emma had expected. If she was anxious or upset at all, she certainly wasn’t showing it. She was almost… eerily calm. It was getting closer and closer to go time and Emma couldn’t let Shelby leave the room without making sure she was alright. Smiling almost nervously, Emma asked, “How are you doing, Shelbs?”

“Great,” she said plainly, focusing on the application of her makeup. “How about you?”

“Good…” Emma said, fidgeting in her chair. “But I’m not the one getting married today.”

A small smile began to play on Shelby’s lips. “No, that’s me. Damn, I’m really getting married today, huh?”

“It would explain the white dress,” Emma replied, laughing lightly. It felt good to see her friend smile for the first time that morning. “Honestly, Shelby, you look incredible.”

“I’ll say,” Kevin agreed as he entered the room followed by Greg and Gabriella. “Everything is all set up and ready to go! Guests are being seated now, Nick text a few minutes ago to say Kaylee is ready as well. How are things going in here? Ready to walk down the that aisle and marry the woman of your dreams in front of all your friends and family.”

Shelby stood up, smoothing out her dress and taking a deep breath. “Just about! Emma, can I have a moment with you please?”

“Of course,” Emma said, following Shelby into the bathroom. When Shelby turned around, her face had dropped and her appearance was almost the exact one Emma had been first expecting to find that morning. Shelby looked up, blinking rapidly in an attempt to stop the tears that were now forming. Emma immediately stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Shelby and running her hand soothingly up and down her back. “Oh honey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing, I just… I’m going to be fine, I just need to... “ She stopped speaking and instead focused on steadying her breathing as Emma held her tighter. After a minute or so, she pulled back and Emma instinctually brought her hands up to Shelby’s face to wipe away her tears and running mascara. Taking a deep breath, Shelby started again. “I will be okay if my parents aren’t here today. I really will. I’ve been expecting it. But I just… I need the confirmation. Will you please go check for me? And just let me know for certain what to expect?”

“Shelby, I…”

“Please, Emma? I promise I’ll be fine, I just need to know,” Shelby said, holding back a sniffle the best she could. 

Emma’s thumbs rubbed comforting circles on Shelby’s cheeks as her eye’s flickered between Shelby’s. “Yeah, of course. I can do that. Just stay here and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Emma placed a quick kiss on Shelby’s forehead before heading down stairs. The house was mostly quiet as she made her way to the french doors leading to the backyard. She peeked through glass and scanned the guests looking for the two faces she surely wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. Her heart fell when her third check came up empty as well. Letting out her own disappointment in the moment before she returned to Shelby, she sighed heavily and turned to make her way back. 

So deep in thought as she cut through the small hallway that led to the staircase nearest Shelby’s room, Emma nearly bumped into someone who emerged from a door unexpectedly. Quickly regaining her balance, Emma rushed out an apology. “Oh, I’m so sorry… Holy shit.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide as she took in the sight of the woman she had ran into, the woman she loved. The blush pink of Alyssa’s bridesmaid dress complimented her skin nicely, hugging tight around her chest and waist, but flowing freely down to her ankles. With her heels, Alyssa stood just a bit taller than Emma. Her hair was twisted back into an updo of loose curls. Emma felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She didn’t know if was possible for someone to be so achingly beautiful. 

“Alyssa… You’re stunning,” was all she could manage in that moment. 

Alyssa’s brown eyes grazed Emma’s body, taking in the three piece suit they picked out months ago. “You’re one to talk. Will I ever see you in a suit and not have the overwhelming urge to kiss you?“

A blush colored her cheeks as Alyssa reached out to adjust her tie, smoothing it down as Emma dropped her head and bashfully mumbled, “I hope not.”

Alyssa hooked her finger under Emma’s chin, lifting her head until their eyes met once more. Alyssa smiled softly at Emma as she said, voice low, “You are so beautiful, Emma.”

Something about the sincerity in Alyssa’s voice filled Emma with a comforting warmth, unlike the usual one she felt in her cheeks when Alyssa would compliment her before. This was… different. This was love. 

Lost in each other's gaze, the two began to drift towards each other. Emma’s eyes dropped to Alyssa’s lips, watching as they slowly curled into a smile. Emma’s own began to purse, and her eyes grew heavy, eagerly expecting the kiss. 

Heavy footsteps could be heard heading down the stairs as chatter grew closer. Emma closed her eyes, groaning slightly while Alyssa giggled, pressing forward to kiss the tip of Emma’s nose and whispering a quick goodbye before slipping back into the room where Kaylee was getting ready. 

//

Once both brides were ready, the parties gathered in the living room, lining up into their pairs to walk down the aisle. Before their cue to begin started, Emma gave one final scan of the crowd before entering the parlor where Shelby was waiting. 

With a forlorn expression, Emma said all she could, softly. “I’m so sorry, Shelbs.”

Pressing her lips together tight, Shelby stood up straight and nodded. “It’s what I expected. Thank you for checking, Emma.”

“Do you want me to go grab Mrs Klein? I’m sure it’s not too late for her to walk you down the aisle?” Emma offered with a small smile.

Shaking her head, Shelby replied, “No. Thank you, though. It was a very sweet offer but this almost feels the most fitting, walking by myself. I’m so excited to officially have Kaylee’s family as my own, but I’ve still gotten myself here and it feels right being the one to give myself away. Is that weird?”

Emma’s looked at her best friend with a certain fondness. “Not at all. It’s perfectly you.”

Shelby took a deep breath, smiling now too. “Thanks, Em.”

Emma hugged the bride, squeezing tightly before running off to let everyone know the wedding could start. 

//

The rest of the bridal party had begun their descent down the aisle, giving Alyssa and Emma a moment alone before their cue would start. Alyssa’s arm was tucked into Emma’s, their sides pressed together tightly. Emma was trying to use the moment to relax, half nervous about the eyes that would be on them as they made their way to the arch and half nervous about having to play cool having Alyssa on her arm in such an intimate act. It wasn’t easy, though, trying to calm her beating heart when she could feel her favorite eyes heavy on her.

Glancing sideways to confirm what she suspected, she smiled to herself before saying, “We’re supposed to be cool, Greene.”

“Oh, I’m always cool, Nolan. It’s you I’m excited to watch out there.” Alyssa said, her tone clearly teasing. 

“Those days of being a fumbling mess are behind me. I am the smoothest thing since the invention of peanut butter.” Emma stated confidently, trying to convince herself it was true.

Alyssa’s free hand reached to pat Emma’s cheek. “Aw babe, that’s cute. I almost believed it.”

Emma’s shoulders dropped as she groaned. “It’s a nice thought though, right?”

“Tell you what,” Alyssa said, her features softening. “What if we had our own secret code? So we can communicate without giving ourselves away.”

“Go on.” Emma said, turning to look at Alyssa with a brow raised.

“When I do this,” Alyssa pulled the lobe of her ear. “It’s me telling you that I love you. It’s perfect, because one of my favorite things about you is how you pull at your own ear when you’re a little overwhelmed with emotions.”

Emma blushed at the confession and she found herself surprised Alyssa had noticed the small detail about her. She almost laughed as she had to hold back her free hand from reaching for her ear in that moment. Instead, she brought up thumb to swipe at the tip of her nose. “And when I do this, it’s me saying I love you too. Because your nose is too cute and kissing it is one of my favorite things to do.”

“Perfect,” Alyssa said, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “Hey, Em?”

Emma’s brows both raised this time as she turned to look at Alyssa, finding the woman with a bright smile on her face, tugging her earlobe. Chuckling, Emma swiped her nose as the doors in front of them opened, signaling their turn to head down the white carpet. 

As they turned to face the crowd, Emma felt all her nerves slip away as Alyssa pressed subtly closer to her with each step and all Emma could think about was how right it felt to be here, arms linked with Alyssa, to celebrate true love.

Emma tried to keep her eyes forward, but it was hard not to stare at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She might have put more effort into looking away had Alyssa not been staring right back at her. 

Alyssa leaned her head closer and spoke loud enough for only Emma to hear, “It’s kind of fun that this time we get to walk down the aisle together.”

Emma’s heart nearly beat out of her chest at the implication of Alyssa’s words, but she wasn’t quite sure if Alyssa meant what she was thinking and she couldn’t help but ask, “This time?”

“Well,” Alyssa said, looking forward but making no effort to hide her smirk. “Next time you’ll hopefully already be waiting for me. Or I can be waiting for you. I’m not picky so long as you’re there.”

“I’ll be there,” Emma rushed out. Her body felt so light in that moment as Alyssa said out loud what Emma barely let herself think. She hooked her arm around Alyssa’s tighter, in fear she might float away without Alyssa there. 

When they reached the arch, Alyssa held her arm tightly wrapped around Emma’s for a moment before they reluctantly separated and took their spots on either side of the ceremonial structure. 

A wedding song started up, prompting the crowd to stand and all eyes were on the doors as Shelby emerged first. She looked absolutely beautiful and held her head up high, smiling brightly as she made her way past friends and family to stand under the arch draped with flowers. 

Everyone’s attention turned back to the entryway as they awaited the other bride, but Emma kept her eyes glued on Shelby. Still, Emma knew the exact moment Kaylee appeared by the breath that left Shelby as tears rushed her eyes. Even through the water now pooling there was unmistakable love radiating from Shelby’s gaze as her soon-to-be wife made her way down the aisle. Emma’s heart grew in her chest as she finally looked at Kaylee to find all the love and affection mirrored back in her features. 

The ceremony itself was elegant and stunning, just as Emma had expected. Honestly, if anyone stumbled upon it, they never would have been able to guess that the location had been changed only that morning. It wasn’t painfully long, and their officiant was quite engaging. The vows themselves were a perfect mix of sweet and funny, both brides bringing the audience to tears and laughter in a beautiful balance. 

As Shelby went on, professing her love for Kaylee with their dearest loved ones as witnesses, Emma found herself getting lost in her words and lost in Alyssa’s gaze. The way Shelby described how natural it was to fall in love, the completeness is brought her, how unafraid she was to realize this woman was her whole world, her forever... Emma could see it all now reflected in Alyssa’s deep brown eyes. 

“The rings?”

Emma barely caught it and she knew her response was slightly delayed as she snapped out of her trance, quickly patting her suit until she remembered which pocket she stored the rings in and pulled them out. Shelby’s expression wasn’t quite readable but it softened as soon as Emma handed over the bands, paired with a slightly guilty smile. When she snuck another glance at Alyssa, Emma found her biting back a laugh and knew she had to find out later what kind of sacrifice Alyssa made in a past lifetime to avoid being the one to constantly slip up. _So much for being smooth._

Emma refocused onto the brides before her, watching as they slid the wedding rings into place. With a few more words, they were pronounced married. As soon as the officiant granted them permission to kiss, Shelby wasted no time dipping her now wife and kissing her affectionately. Everyone cheered for the newlyweds as they made their way back down the aisle, followed shortly by the bridal parties. 

With Alyssa back on her arm, Emma could practically hear the smirk on her face as she begged under her breath, “Please don’t.”

Alyssa squeezed her arm gently, replying with, “Okay, peanut butter.”

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn’t help her own smile as she finally looked again at a now very amused Alyssa who shot back a wink in return. As they made their way to the reception arm in arm, Emma could only pray they would find the perfect opportunity to come clean soon before she gave them up for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh! Thanks for reading and kudos and especially comments ily!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, she's done! I hope you enjoy the last chapter! Oh, also, she's long. 12kish, godspeed.

Emma sipped her old fashion as she sat at the head table, watching the crowd mingle for cocktail hour. Shelby and Kaylee were off taking their wedding photos, giving everyone else the chance to get the celebration started. Emma made her own rounds, but she still didn’t know many people so she found her spot at their table where they’d be eating later and decided to simply enjoy the people watching.

Or rather, the Alyssa watching. 

Emma had honestly begun observing people at random, but her eyes always seemed to wander back to the woman that she loved. It filled her with warmth to watch Alyssa interact with people, many who have known her most of her life, and see the pure adoration and admiration that they had for Alyssa. A small part of her ached to be there by her side, witnessing it all up close and letting everyone know that Alyssa was hers and she was Alyssa’s, but she was comforted by the notion that she would have the rest of her life to be by Alyssa’s side. They just had to lie low for a little bit longer.

It also comforted Emma to think about how her and Alyssa would have the entire house to themselves after the reception was over. Kaylee and Shelby were going to have a mini honeymoon at the local bed and breakfast for the night until they decided where to take their actual one and since the rest of the wedding party was all local and didn’t need to be there the next day, that left just the two of them. Alyssa could have stayed at her mother’s that night, but the brides offered her the space so she didn’t have to repack her bags and what not, and of course Alyssa didn’t fight them on it.

Even though they couldn’t shout their love from the rooftops quite yet, Emma was still perfectly happy with the current situation and watched on as Alyssa lit up faces and shared in laughs. Just as Emma thought it was perhaps time to look away and avoid drawing attention to them again, Alyssa’s hand reached up to unmistakably tug at her earlobe. Alyssa’s eyes hadn’t met Emma’s once the entire time, so Emma was pleasantly surprised by the little gesture and even though Alyssa wasn’t looking her way, Emma still found herself swiping her nose with her thumb. God, she did love that woman.

Before she knew it, the music shifted and the DJ was announcing the newlyweds. “Ladies and gentle humans, if I may have your attention, I’d like to introduce, for the first time as wife and wife, Mrs and Mrs Gonzales.”

Kaylee and Shelby entered the space to joyous cheers and applause. They looked undeniably happy as they walked hand in hand, waving and blowing kisses with their others. Reaching the DJ booth, they were handed a mic and Kaylee started, “Hello everyone! We just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone for coming to commemorate the happiest day of our life with us. You’ve all truly made this day extra special and we love and appreciate all of you! Please, help yourself to drinks and food and let’s celebrate!”

With more applause, people began to rise from their spots to grab food. Emma had already sweet talked the caterer into setting two plates aside so she could cut ahead and grab food for the brides right away. While she knew very little about weddings, she did recall a coworker making a big deal about how little time she had to eat at her wedding and Emma promised to be sure the same didn’t happen to Kaylee and Shelby.

Once everyone had food and was seated, the DJ called for anyone who would like to make a toast. Kaylee’s parents started it off with a short but sweet toast to their daughters. Emma was impressed when Mrs Klein managed to only slip in one mention of a grandchild. She watched anxiously as a few more people stood up to give a quick, encouraging toast to the brides, knowing that as soon as they stopped, it was Emma’s turn to go. Alyssa had offered to go first, but Emma knew that going first would best for her. She didn’t want her toast to follow Alyssa nor be the last thing everyone remembered.

Despite Emma’s concentrated wishes, the toasters eventually stopped standing up and it was her turn to go. Sighing heavily, she stood up and made her way to the DJ booth to grab a mic. Her eyes scanned the silent crowd, nerves building inside her until she found Alyssa, looking back at her with a confidence Emma didn’t know she needed. Tension left her shoulders and she took a deep breath before beginning, “Hello, everyone. For those who don’t know me, I’m Shelby’s maid of honor, Emma. I’d like to start by thanking you all so much for being here today and a very special thank you to the Kleins, who have done so much to make today possible.”

Emma raised her glass and everyone followed suit, cheering in response. The sound oddly gave Emma more courage to continue on. “Shelby and I met our freshman year of college and although we didn’t hit it off right away, there was an immediately respect I felt for her. It wasn’t too long into that first year that we became close friends. We would’ve been best friends if it wasn’t for some girl at another school that she grew up with and would _never_ stop talking about.”

A laugh erupted and Emma paused to let it settle, smiling to herself. “I remember the first time Kaylee came to visit. Watching the two of them interact was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. If I hadn’t known otherwise, I would’ve thought they’d already been married. They were so comfortable and content around each other. I’d never seen Shelby so happy as when she was with Kaylee. As much as I wanted to not like this “best friend”, it was impossible when she made Shelby smile like that.”

Emma tilted her head as she watched Shelby turn to Kaylee, truly beaming as she leaned over to kiss her wife’s cheek. “It’s been truly wonderful to watch their love grow and to learn from them. I wasn’t around many relationships growing up that I could look at and think ‘Wow, that’s a kind of love that I want’, but that’s exactly how I felt watching these two fall in love.”

Smiling softly, Emma’s eyes found Alyssa as she finished her speech. “I’m so lucky to have them as a shining example for how I want to love and be loved. Their love is pure and selfless and full, and without them, I don’t know if I would have ever…” Tearing her eyes away from Alyssa, Emma shook her head lightly and found Shelby’s gaze once more. “Thank you, Shelbs. And thank you, Kaylee, for marrying this woman despite her continued wear of crocs. Congratulations to you both.”

Emma was grateful for the laughter as she raised her glass, hoping the noise was loud enough to drown out her heart that was nearly beating out of her chest. As people clinked their glasses, Emma handed the mic back to the DJ before going off to hug the brides. As Emma was walking away from Shelby, the bride called her name and stuck out her tongue before lifting the bottom of her dress ever so slightly to reveal a pair of light purple crocs. Emma had to hold back her laughter as she shook her head and continued back to her seat. Waiting for Emma at her chair was Alyssa, who also brought Emma into a tight embrace, whispering quietly, “You did great, love.”

“Thanks.” Emma replied, squeezing tighter as she added, “I wish I could kiss you right now.”

“I know. Me too,” was all Alyssa said, lightly scratching into Emma’s hair before pulling back to go give her own speech.

As Alyssa’s voice filled the space, Emma instantly began to calm. Her speech had gone mostly better than she had expected, ignoring where she got distracted and started to go off script at the end there. To no surprise, Alyssa’s speech was eloquent and well spoken and touching. She reminisced about growing up with the couple, always sensing something just _different_ in Kaylee and Shelby’s friendship compared to the others, and how natural is was to watch them go from friends to more. Emma listened with a sense of pride and admiration as Alyssa addressed the crowd, making them laugh and making them cry.

“Here’s to a lifetime of happiness for Kaylee and Shelby!” Alyssa finished, raising her glass and leading in the final cheers.

//

As dinner finished up, Emma thought through the itinerary to figure out what came next. Much to her appreciation, Alyssa wrote out the full night so Emma could know what to expect and when to expect it. It was just another way Alyssa took care of Emma. Now that toasts were over and dinner was finishing up, Emma’s heart sank as she remembered what was up next. 

As music started up, Mr. Klein found Kaylee and led her to the dance floor for the father-daughter dance. Emma’s eyes found Shelby, who watched her wife and father-in-law with a subtle sense of longing. Anyone who didn’t know Shelby like Emma did would’ve missed it, but Emma saw it clear as day. Getting up from her chair, she made her way to Shelby and held out her hand. Shelby hesitated before grabbing it and letting Emma take her out onto the dance floor. 

It was awkward at first as Emma tried to lead, but soon Shelby was laughing and taking over the steps. More than willing to let Shelby take the lead, Emma joined in her laughter as they moved around the dance floor. Kaylee and her father’s attention flickered to them for a moment, smiling endearingly at them when a quiet “aw” from spectators swept through the air as they began their dance. 

“Thank you, Emma.” Shelby said, a small smile gracing her face. 

“You don’t need to thank me, Shelbs. You deserve the world and it’s the least I could do.” 

“Yeah, I thought you’d say that. But still, it means a lot to have a friend like you,” Shelby insisted.

Just as Emma was about to respond, she watched shock rippled over Shelby’s features before a timid hand touched her arm. Turning around, Emma was astonished to find Shelby’s mother behind her, asking, “May I cut it?”

Stunned into silence, Emma looked to Shelby, trying to gauge how her friend was handling the unexpected visitor.

Stumbling over her words, Shelby asked, “Mom, what are you doing here?”

“I’m so sorry I missed the ceremony, honey. I went to the address listed on the invitation Emma left us, but when I got there it was closed and I wasn’t sure if the wedding was even still happening or what was going on, so I just started driving around. I figured Edgewater isn’t too big, I could probably find it by throwing a rock but after a while of no luck I decided to come by here and see if you were home, see if something happened and… I’m so sorry, Shelby.”

“There was a leak at the other venue, so we had to move locations. We called everyone on the guest list who RSVP’d,” Shelby explained, clinging to the one topic she could talk about without emotions, just facts, as she stood still in a daze. 

Offering a sympathetic look, Mrs. Gonzales responded, “I’m sorry to hear that, but I am relieved that the wedding was still able to happen.”

“You are?” Shelby asked hesitantly.

“Yes, I am,” her mom answered with sincerity. “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve behaved and for everything I missed out on. I was being stupid and I understand if you can never forgive me. I know I won’t be able to. But Emma was right. All I care about, all I’ve ever cared about is your safety and your happiness. And it’s very clear that she makes you happy.”

All three women turned to look at Kaylee, who was so enraptured in this moment with her father that she hadn’t quite yet noticed the surprise visitor. Looking back to her mother, Shelby’s questions continued. “And what about… Is dad here too?”

Mrs. Gonzales’ eyes darted away and her head dropped slightly. “He’s not. I’m so sorry, sweetie. He is a very stubborn man. I’m afraid it’s going to take him a bit longer to come around.”

Shelby nodded, her eyes distant as she processed what was happening. Then, as her mother’s words caught up to her, she turned to Emma. “Wait, you talked to my parents?” 

“I… I did. Yesterday. I just wanted this day to be perfect for you and knew if I didn’t at least try… I’m so sorry, Shelbs. I wasn’t trying to be keep it from you. It just ended so horribly and I couldn’t bear to tell you… Are you upset?”

Instead of answering, Shelby pulled Emma into a tight embrace. “Of course I’m not upset with you, Em. Thank you. I know I’ve said it a hundred times this weekend, but thank you for being the best friend a girl could hope for.”

Emma relaxed into the hug, squeezing back with equal care. Pulling away, Emma checked in on her friend one more time. “Are you okay? We can finish your dance if you want or…”

“I am okay. And I appreciate that, but I think I would like to dance with my mom now. I love you, Emma.”

“I love you too, Shelby.” Emma said, squeezing Shelby’s hand and nodding at Mrs. Gonzales before leaving the two to have their moment.

Emma exited the dance floor and met Alyssa standing off to the side to watch the brides and their parents finish their dance. Based on the concerned expression, Alyssa must’ve witnessed the entire exchange. “Is everything okay?’

Smiling tenderly, Emma nodded. “Yeah, I really believe that it is.”

“Good,” Alyssa said with a sigh before looking thoughtfully at Emma. “You did a really amazing thing. You know that, right?”

With a shrug and a small shake of her head, Emma said, “You saw her yesterday, Lys. She would’ve come around eventually.”

“Yeah, maybe so,” Alyssa agreed. “But you got through to her in time to be here for Shelby’s big day. You bought them extra time together, Emma, and you should be really proud of that.”

Emma finally looked at Alyssa to find wonder and sincerity in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her, to kiss her gently. Instead, she pressed her arm lightly into Alyssa and said, “Thank you. For being so sweet but also for being there for me. I couldn’t have done it without you and I’m just glad we could make Shelby’s day that much better.”

Alyssa smiled, letting her fingers brush against Emma’s for a brief moment before the two watched the rest of the dance.

//

It didn’t take long for the dancefloor to fill up. Emma was at the bar getting herself another drink when she spotted Shelby off to the side, resting in a chair and enjoying the sight of her guests celebrating carefree to the music. Emma’s smile dropped into a frown while she watched as Kevin approached the bride and handed her another drink. This was the third one she’s caught him sneaking her and while she personally had nothing against Shelby drinking on her wedding day, Emma knew the last thing she was probably thinking about was portion control. Emma grabbed a water and brought it to the bride.

Gladly accepting the hydration, Shelby thanked Emma, sipping it and returning her attention to the crowd. Now that Emma was next to Shelby, she noticed that this particular table gave the best view of Kaylee jumping around to whatever Top 40’s song was currently blasting through the crowd. Emma smiled to herself at how sweet it was that even when they were apart, Shelby still wanted to be able to see her bride. 

“Sweet party,” Emma teased after a bit of silence, earning a laugh from her friend.

“That was the true motivation behind all of this. Kaylee and I thought Edgewater was long overdue for a rager. If we had to get married for it to happen, then so be it.” Shelby shot a smirk to Emma, who returned one in kind. “I know I said it earlier, Em, but thank you. For everything. Even if I didn’t realize how much I wanted my parents here, you did. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for.”

Emma’s smirk softened into a smile. “I’m just trying to be the best friend you deserve. I’m just sorry I couldn’t get through to your dad.”

“Well, I didn’t think my mom would come around so there may be hope for him too. One day,” Shelby said thoughtfully before her tone became playful again. “Speaking of things I never imagined... Emma Nolan, gay and in love.”

Heat sprung to Emma’s cheeks, as she tried to play it cool. “Who said anything about love?”

“You did,” Shelby said with a shrug. When Emma stared at her blankly, she rolled her eyes before clarifying. “In your maid of honor speech. Don’t think I didn’t catch that.”

“I, uh…” Emma started, scratching the back of her neck. 

“Emma, I only tease. I am really happy for you.”

Shelby’s tone was genuine and sincere and the look in her eyes matched. Suddenly, Emma felt a surge of courage. Her eyes found Alyssa on the dance floor and she prayed for their telepathy to work in this moment, prayed that she could feel her calling to her. She knew she couldn’t tell Shelby without talking to Alyssa first, but the moment just felt so right. But when she realized she wouldn’t catch Alyssa’s attention, a question popped into Emma’s head. “Did you know?”

Shelby’s expression grew curious as she asked back, “Know what?”

“That I’m gay. Did you ever suspect it or anything?”

“Nah, I assumed anyone who could live with me for a year and not fall in love was clearly not into girls,” Shelby teased before gently nudging Emma with her elbow. “Honestly, I thought about it before. I just figured if you were, you would tell me when you were ready.”

Emma nodded thoughtfully, only offering a hum before Shelby continued on.

“Ya wanna hear something funny?” 

“Sure,” Emma said with hesitation.

“There was one time when Kaylee and I were perhaps a little drunk and perhaps very convinced that you were gay and we… Eh, nevermind. It’s silly.”

“You what, Shelby?” Emma urged her to go on.

“You know how I mentioned I wanted you and Alyssa to meet ages ago?”

“Yes…”

“But Kaylee was a little anxious about it?”

“Yes, Shelby, I remember all this.”

“So, Kaylee wasn’t just anxious that you two would click friendwise.”

“What does that… What was she anxious about then?” Emma asked, shaking her head as she struggled to follow where Shelby was taking this.

“Well, we might have come up with this whole plan to set you two up. I mean, we were really convinced you two would have been a perfect match. Kaylee’s only worry was that you weren’t actually gay and she didn’t want to set Alyssa up for heartbreak. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately and how things might have been different. Life’s pretty funny sometimes, huh?”

As Shelby spoke like she was making some offhand comment, Emma felt her entire world begin to spin. Or maybe that was just her head. “Set us up? Like… you two wanted us to… date?”

“Yeah. Like I said, it was silly and- Emma, where are you going?”

Emma heard Shelby call for her as she practically sprinted to Alyssa and Kaylee, grabbing both their hands and dragging them back to the table. 

“Emma, what the hell?” Kaylee asked, confusion and minor irritation in her tone.

“Sorry, sorry, I just… Shelby was just telling me a story and I, uh, I just thought it would be good for us all to talk about it.” Emma stammered, looking between the three puzzled faces before her. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Alyssa, raising her eyebrows at the woman, praying she would understand her. “Shelby was saying that a while back, her and Kaylee wanted to set us up.”

Alyssa’s eyebrows knotted for a moment before realization flashed over her features. She turned towards the brides as she said, “Well, it’s funny you both thought that…”

Kaylee and Shelby exchanged a look, but remained silent. When Emma couldn’t take it anymore, she blurted out, “Alyssa is the girl from the coffee shop.”

Shelby’s face lit up but before she could say anything, Kaylee’s hand fell on her arm, silencing her. Emma looked curiously between the two before Kaylee said, “I’m sorry, what exactly are you two trying to say?”

“I…” Emma tried. Feeling at a loss because she thought she was quite clear in her confession, she turned to Alyssa for help.

Resting her hand on Emma’s arm, she watched with bated breath as Alyssa took over and explained, “Kaylee, Shelby… We have something we need you to know and there is no easy way to say it so I’m just gonna go for it. Emma and I are dating. We have been for a while now, but we-”

“Yes!”

“Ugh.”

Emma’s eyes tore away to look at the brides, finding Kaylee in a state she could only describe as pure bliss while Shelby slumped in defeat. Shaking her head, Emma asked, “Did I miss something?”

Ignoring Emma, Shelby whined to Kaylee, “That’s not fair. I did all the work. Besides, Emma was the first one to say Alyssa was the girl she was seeing.”

“Nope. Sorry, love, but all Emma said was that Alyssa was the girl from a coffee shop. Alyssa was the one to say the required phrase.”

“What is going on?” Emma tried again, looking between her two friends.

“We’re going to Hawaii!” Kaylee squealed.

“Yeah, thanks a lot, Nolan. You lost me a honeymoon to Iceland.”

“Can someone _please_ explain what’s happening?” Emma begged once more.

Sighing and mildly annoyed, Shelby started, “Kaylee and I put it together months ago that you two were dating, but we didn’t want to pry so we decided to pretend like we didn’t know until you two were ready to talk about it.” 

Kaylee took over, saying, “But then you two kept up the secret for so long and by the time we realized you two were probably waiting till after the wedding to tell us, we decided to make a little game of it.” 

“The rules were pretty basic. We couldn’t outright ask if you two were dating, and we had to earn a clear and concise confession from our own maid of honor.”

Emma shook her head, trying to unpack all the new information. “What does this have to do with the honeymoon location?”

“We couldn’t decide where we wanted to go. We narrowed it down to two options we both really liked, but we each had a favorite. So we decided whoever won our little game got to pick where we went,” Shelby clarified.

“Oh my god,” Alyssa finally said, barely above a whisper. Blinking a few times, she finally looked at Kaylee. “That’s why you kept telling me I seemed so different and looked so happy. You kept asking me if I was doing something different with my hair but really you were trying to get me to say-”

“That you were _doing_ Emma,” Kaylee finished her sentence with a simple shrug. “But damn, you gave me nothing. I thought Shelby was gonna win for sure. Honestly, Emma seemed like she was on the verge of cracking before you two even left New York.”

“Yeah, I was so sure I was going to win. Maybe in the end, my confidence was my downfall,” Shelby said dramatically. Kaylee laughed, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek and bringing a smile back to her lips. 

Suddenly, Emma had her own series of flashbacks to conversations her and Shelby had. Her eyebrows knotted as she asked, “Wait, how long have you known?”

The newlyweds exchanged a sheepish glance before Shelby asked, “Are you sure you want to know the answer to that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Alright. If I’m being honest, I thought something happened between you two back when you were here for the engagement party and field day. So when you told me about kissing a woman for the first time after all that, I just kind of assumed it was Alyssa.”

Emma groaned. “So basically you knew the whole time and didn’t say anything.”

“Hold up now,” Shelby said, raising a hand into the air. “_You two idiots_ are the ones who didn’t say anything.”

“I-” Emma started but fell silent when Alyssa places her hand on Emma’s arm.

“Babe, we can’t be mad at them for respecting our privacy.”

“Yeah, _babe_,” Shelby teased, causing Emma to groan again. 

“What Shelby means to say is, we’re very happy for you both and we’re sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell us,” Kaylee said, a sad smile on her face.

Alyssa reached out to squeeze her hand. “It’s not that we felt like we couldn’t tell you. We just didn’t want you two to worry about anything happening that might have interfered with your big day.”

“I repeat: idiots,” Shelby said while shaking her head.

“Again, what Shelby means is we never would’ve thought that. You two make all the sense as a couple and have our full support.” 

“Yeah, that actually is what I meant. So much so that I had a whole plan B on the off chance we were wrong and there really was another girl.”

Almost scared, Emma asked, “A plan B?”

Shelby nodded. “Yeah, ya know, to sabotage your relationship with the other slut and set you up with our favorite sl-”

“Anyways,” Kaylee cut in. “We’re very happy we didn’t have to invoke our plan B and we wish you both the best.” After kissing them both on the cheek, she added, “And thanks again, Alyssa. You really came through for me on this! I’m gonna get you the best souvenir from Hawaii!”

Shelby rolled her eyes before hugging both girls as well before they got pulled away to talk to some distant relative of Kaylee’s that, based on Shelby’s tense smile, she had never met before.

“I can’t believe those two…” Emma said, shaking her head. “They knew the whole time and kept their mouths shut as they watched us try and fail to keep it a secret!”

“Hey, one of us did a fine job keeping the secret,” Alyssa teased. “Besides, Em, I think you’re missing the important part of that entire conversation.”

“That I didn’t kill Shelby?”

“No,” Alyssa said, pulling a still lost Emma in by her waist, until their bodies were flush and her arms were wrapped around Emma, fingers clasped and resting on her lower back to keep her close. “They _know_.” 

Emma’s eyes widened and as soon as Alyssa’s words registered, she closed the distance, kissing Alyssa passionately like she’d been wanting to do all day. Her hands found Alyssa’s cheeks, holding her gently. Alyssa kissed back immediately, with equal if not more enthusiasm. Her arms around Emma tightened, bringing them impossibly close. Finally breaking, Emma brushed her lips against Alyssa’s tenderly a few more times before resting their foreheads together. “God, that felt good.”

Alyssa pulled back, biting her lip and leaning in close to Emma’s ear, whispering, “I can’t wait to finally find out what else makes you feel good.”

Emma held back a whimper as heat pooled low within her. Her body was still pressed against Alyssa’s and the warmth between was making Emma a little light headed. “I…”

“Alyssa, sweetie!”

The two separated, Emma’s mouth agape, still slightly stunned from the past several minutes - particularly one specific sentence. She blinked a few times, watching as Alyssa appeared perfectly functional while Kaylee’s mother approached them.

“There you are! We’re running low on plates. I put extras out in the guest house. Can you go grab them please?”

“Of course, Mrs. Klein,” Alyssa replied with a kind smile. Then, taking Emma’s hand, Alyssa led them to the guest house.

When they stepped into the small building, Alyssa headed straight towards the kitchenette to find the extra plates. Emma followed her with slow steps, looking around. The space was small and quaint. It wasn’t terribly cluttered, but if Emma had to guess, it saw more use as storage than it did keeping guests.

As Emma approached Alyssa, who was now at the counter sifting through a box marked “Extra Supplies”, Emma’s arms slipped around Alyssa’s waist and her chest pressed pleasantly against Alyssa’s back. She began placing light kisses along Alyssa’s shoulder, trailing them up the side of Alyssa’s neck.

Tilting her head, Alyssa hummed, “Emma…”

“Yes?” Emma mumbled against Alyssa’s skin as her hands began to explore along Alyssa’s torso. They started at her hips, smoothing along her belly before sliding up and kneading Alyssa’s breasts through the fabric of her dress. At the same time, her mouth sucked gently on the sensitive skin at the base of her neck. A light moan stuttered from Alyssa’s throat and she pushed back into Emma in response.

Emma spun Alyssa around and when she started to bunch the skirt of her dress up, Emma lifted her onto the counter and stepped between her legs. Alyssa’s eyes were dark with desire and Emma would’ve let herself drown in them if her own craving didn’t long for more contact. But before she could make a move, Alyssa fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her in for a fierce kiss.

The kiss was intense from the start, all tongue and teeth and months of built up tension. Hands grasped desperately for more contact and their ragged whimpers and hungry moans decorated the air. Emma was so overwhelmed with getting lost in Alyssa, she almost felt like she didn’t know where to start. Before she could figure it out, Alyssa’s hands were firmly pushing against Emma’s shoulders as leaned back, breaking the kiss. 

Breathing heavily, Alyssa said, “We should probably slow down.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Probably not the best idea to do this during the wedding,” Emma agreed, nodding dazedly. 

“No, it’s not that,” Alyssa said shaking your head. “Well, kind of. I just know we won’t have enough time to do everything I want to do with you,” Alyssa leaned forward, languidly kissing Emma again. Pulling apart slightly, she continued, “to you.” Kissing her again, deeper this time, she broke apart only to finish, “for you.”

Emma whimpered as she tried chasing Alyssa’s lips with no success. As she rocked back onto her feet, she opened her eyes and felt a wave of love rush through her as she looked over Alyssa’s features. She leaned forward to place a kiss on Alyssa’s nose, her heart swooning as Alyssa scrunched it in response to the affection. Emma sighed happily, “Okay, good point. Besides, what’s a few more hours when I’d be willing to wait a lifetime for this?”

Alyssa smiled, leaning forward to place a sweet kiss on Emma’s lips. A goofy grin found its way to Emma’s face from the tender touch before she helped Alyssa off the counter. They finally found the plates, grabbing what they needed and headed back to the celebration. 

//

Walking back hand in hand not caring who saw or worrying about giving anything away filled Emma with a simple kind of happiness she couldn’t quite explain but was definitely the cause of her holding her head a little higher in the moment. Standing near their table, Alyssa kissed Emma on the cheek before going off to grab them drinks. 

Emma smiled, watching as Alyssa walked away and already feeling giddy for when she would return. Lost in thoughts about how she could hold Alyssa’s hand or kiss her affectionately or call her pet names whenever she wanted, she almost missed Luke approaching her with a cocky grin on his face. Her dreamy smile dropped into an annoyed scowl before he was even able to say a word.

“Hello, Emma,” he greeted. When she didn’t say anything in response, he started up again. “So you came here alone tonight too, huh?”

“Actually, I-” she tried, but was cut off by him.

“Do you believe in fate, Emma?” 

“Sure, but-”

“Me too. And it seems to me that fate is what brought us both here tonight, both _single_.”

“No, a wedding and your natural personality did-”

“That’s right: fate,” he went on. Realizing it was no use trying to say anything, Emma rolled her eyes and let him ramble on. “You know, you might be the only person in the world who looks better in a suit than I do. Maybe we can get matching ones next time, let people vote on who wore it better…”

Emma tuned out, not being able to listen to him anymore. Instead, her eyes scanned the room, desperately searching for Alyssa. When she finally found her, Alyssa was making her way back with the much needed drinks in hand. She watched as Alyssa finally noticed what was going on and picked up her pace, an irritated expression on her face as her grip on the drinks tightened. 

As Alyssa finally made it back, Emma thought for a moment. As much as she really wanted to hear whatever clever line Alyssa has probably already thought up to shut Luke down, there was one thing she wanted to do even more. Once she was close, Emma grabbed her face, pulling her in for a heated kiss. Instantly lost in the feeling, Emma almost missed Luke’s sentence being interrupted with a “Holy shit.” Even though Emma would have preferred to linger in the moment with Alyssa just a bit longer, she pulled away before Luke could get too excited about the scene before him.

“Damn, that was h-” He was cut off by a stangled whine as Alyssa stepped her heel into his foot and leaned in close to whisper something Emma couldn’t quite make out. Whatever it was, it was enough to wipe the obnoxious smirk off Luke’s face and drain the color from his cheeks. Voice weak, he stuttered, “You wouldn’t.”

Alyssa stepped back, glaring so intensely at him that Emma was almost a little frightened herself. Yes, Emma was perhaps frightened and surprisingly turned on as she watched Alyssa firmly but calmly reply, “I think we both know I would. Now, I believe there is something you wanted to tell Emma?”

Luke looked at Alyssa for a moment longer, as if he was still questioning how serious Alyssa was. When she held her glare and crossed her arms, he straightened up, looking at his feet as he mumbled, “I’m sorry, Emma. I promise to leave you alone.”

A shocked but grateful expression settled on Emma’s face as she watched Luke walk away with his tail between his legs. Her attention was only pulled away when Alyssa slipped a hand behind Emma’s neck, scratching lightly up into her hair. “Are you okay, babe?”

Emma nodded slowly. “Yeah, I am. Thank you. Lys, that was incredible and… is it weird to say hot?”

Alyssa chuckled lightly, shaking her head lightly. “Definitely not. But I’m just glad it worked.”

“Yeah, me too…” Emma mused. “What did you say to him anyways?”

“Oh nothing,” Alyssa said with a mischievous lilt in her voice. “I just reminded him of the time he was “discovered” at the mall and scammed into being a part of a _Men in Lingerie_ calendar that I just so happen to still have a copy of.”

“Oh my god. You do?”

Alyssa laughed. “No, but he doesn’t need to know that.”

“God, I love you,” Emma said with awe, before closing the distance and kissing Alyssa once more. 

“I love you too, Emma,” Alyssa responded when they separated once more. She smiled softly at Emma before her attention went to watching the guests out on the dancefloor.

When the music changed to a softer, slower tune, Emma held out a hand. “Would you care to dance?”

“I thought you said you don’t dance?” Alyssa teased with a playful smile.

“I said I’m not a dancer. But I’m also not an idiot and will not be passing up the opportunity to dance with the world’s most beautiful woman. So what do you say? Will you dance with me?” Emma asked again, hopeful as her hand lingered in the air. Alyssa’s expression softened as she reached out to take Emma’s hands and followed her out onto the dance floor. 

When they found a spot on the dancefloor, Emma spun Alyssa towards her, earning a giggle from the woman as she wrapped an arm around Alyssa’s waist and pulled her close. Their fingers intertwined and Alyssa’s free hand clutched at Emma’s shoulder. Emma helplessly thought back to her dance with Shelby earlier that day. She was determined to lead this time, but had no idea how to even begin.

Alyssa must’ve sensed Emma’s hesitation, because she leaned forward and placed a kiss on Emma’s cheek, giving her all the encouragement she needed to at least fake it. 

The dance was nothing fancy by any means. Emma would lead them a step forward, another back, switching up the direction. She kept glancing at her feet, not quite confident they didn’t need supervision, but everytime she lifted her eyes, she found Alyssa gazing at her with a tender expression, and before she knew it, she stopped watching her feet all together and her full focus was on the woman in her arms. 

Just like everything else in Emma’s life, when she was with Alyssa, even dancing came naturally to her. 

More sure in her steps now, Emma spun Alyssa out before twirling her back in, closer than before. Alyssa’s hand slid up Emma’s shoulder to her neck, fingers tickling lightly into blonde hair. Emma sighed happily as they slowly drifted closer and closer until they were dancing cheek to cheek. She didn’t think they’d get to have this moment, dancing amongst the other couples, not worried about hiding. By now they were just swaying more than anything, but Emma wasn’t complaining. She closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling of Alyssa in her arms, thinking about how she wouldn’t mind living the rest of her life with Alyssa this close.

//

The reception went late into the night, guests getting drunker and happier and more enthusiastic in their dance moves until finally the brides decided to shut it down. After the majority of the guests had left, the wedding party and close family lingered behind to help breakdown the reception. 

Alyssa and Emma insisted Kaylee and Shelby get to their honeymoon suite, practically pushing them out the door while Shelby essentially shouted, fueled by alcohol and her need to tease Emma, “Look, I know you two are young and in love-”

“We’re all the same age, Shelby,” Emma clarified casually.

“-But please try to contain the sex to your assigned rooms and spare the rest of my beautiful home.”

“Oh my god,” Emma groaned, shoving Shelby into the car to join her wife while a blush colored her face. Alyssa laughed lightly at the flustered sight and grabbed Emma’s hand as they walked back to join the others with cleanup.

With the large group of helpers they had, it didn’t take too long to get the bulk of the party cleaned up, or at least all that they could do that night. Alyssa assured Kaylee’s parents that her and Emma would be around the next day to make sure everything got picked up and put away before hugging them, thanking them again, and saying goodbye. 

Alyssa leaned her head on Emma’s shoulder as they waved goodbye to the last guests, a sign that they were finally alone. Emma tilted her to rest on top of Alyssa’s, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and holding her close. The day had been long and emotional but it didn’t matter to Emma. She was simply content knowing she’d be able to end the day the way she started it: with Alyssa in her arms.

Alyssa leaned into Emma, humming softly before asking, “What do you want to do now, Emma?”

“I want you to take me to bed, Alyssa.”

Alyssa lifted her head, looking at Emma in a way that wrapped her warmly in care and affection. Then nodding, she grabbed Emma’s hand. Emma followed her willingly, an odd sense of tranquility rippling through her body as she let Alyssa lead them through the house, up the stairs, and into the bedroom. 

Alyssa pulled Emma into the room gently, sliding her arms around Emma’s waist and pulling her close. Swiping her nose against Emma’s, she smiled tenderly and asked, “How are you feeling?”

Emma swallowed before answering, “Good.”

“Yeah?” Alyssa urged as her eyes flickered around Emma’s face. “Are you nervous at all?”

Emma looked deep into Alyssa’s eyes, finding comfort and safety, as she thought about Alyssa’s question. “Yeah, I guess I kind of am.”

“Because _I’m_…” Alyssa’s voice trailed off, not quite as strong as it had been before. 

“Because _I’m_,” Emma said as she smiled softly, bringing her hand up to caress Alyssa’s cheek, rubbing her thumb gently over Alyssa’s skin. “So in love.”

“I love you too, Emma. I love you so much.” Alyssa said with a light sigh before capturing Emma’s lips with her own in an affectionate gesture. “And if you change your mind at any point…”

“I’ll let you know, I promise.” Emma assured her. “But I want this, Alyssa. I want you and I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting you.”

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you, Em. You are all I’ve ever wanted,” Alyssa said before closing the distance and kissing Emma once more.

Immediately, Emma noted how different it was than any kiss they’d shared before. It was charged with intent, but wasn’t rushed. There were no undertones of a clock ticking or hesitation that things might get too heated too fast. It was perfectly them and nerves Emma might have had drifted away as she surrendered herself completely to the woman she loved.

Emma’s hand slipped behind Alyssa’s neck, pulling her closer and pressing her lips harder against Alyssa’s. When her tongue swiped Alyssa’s lips, Alyssa didn’t hesitate to allow her access. They muffled each others moans as Emma’s tongue dipped into Alyssa’s mouth. Alyssa’s grip tightened around Emma before she turned them around and walked Emma backwards to the bed. 

When Emma’s legs hit the mattress, they stopped before they ended up toppling over. Emma began placing light kisses along Alyssa’s jawline, down her throat, stopping at the base of Alyssa’s neck. She found a sensitive spot there and bit teasingly, drawing out another moan from Alyssa before soothing the area with her tongue. While her mouth found other sensitive areas along Alyssa’s chest, she let her hands explore, dragging down Alyssa’s back to circle around, her palms laying flat against toned abs while her fingers curled around the curve of Alyssa’s waist. 

Alyssa’s own hands were tangled tight into blonde hair and when Emma’s mouth met the start of Alyssa’s dress, she looked up and her heart skipped a beat. Alyssa’s eyes were closed tightly and her chest was rising and falling heavily. Knowing she was already having such an effect on Alyssa cause the heat low within her to grow. One of Emma’s hands moved up Alyssa’s side to find a zipper. “Alyssa, is this okay?”

“Yes, Emma, please,” Alyssa said, opening her eyes to meet Emma’s. She smiled as Emma’s fingers fumbled with the zipper for a moment before pulling it down. Alyssa stepped back and let the dress fall to the ground. Any breath Emma had in her went away, taking all brain function with it as well now that Alyssa stood in front of her in only her bra and underwear. Even though it wasn’t the first time she had seen Alyssa in little to no clothing, it still didn’t affect her any less. 

Reaching out her hands to smooth over Alyssa’s skin, Emma uttered, “You’re so beautiful, Lys.”

Alyssa smiled shyly at the compliment before she stepped forward to capture Emma’s lips once more. Emma’s eyes closed as she melted into the kiss. Alyssa’s hands found the lapels of Emma’s jacket, gripping lightly and asking against Emma’s lips, “May I?”

Emma answered with a nod before Alyssa’s hands slid along Emma’s shoulders and down her arms to fully remove the jacket. Emma’s lips began another trail down the other side of Alyssa’s neck while Alyssa’s deft fingers worked on removing Emma’s tie and shirt. It didn’t take too long before Alyssa had the items removed. Emma’s hands reached for her belt, but Alyssa took over, undoing her belt and dropping the pants for Emma to step out of. 

Emma’s mouth attempted to return to Alyssa’s sternum and continue its efforts, but she was interrupted when she felt Alyssa’s hands firmly pushing her back until her knees hit the bed and she was falling backwards into a sitting position on the edge of the mattress. The combination of that and the hungry look in Alyssa’s eyes sparked an ache deep in Emma’s core. Alyssa’s hands gripped Emma’s shoulders as she used them to balance herself while she straddled Emma.

A whimper escaped Emma as the feeling of Alyssa’s soft skin against hers lit her body on fire. Their eyes locked for a moment before they met again, for a heated and passionate kiss. Emma’s head went light as her and Alyssa bit and licked and sucked while their hands clung desperately to exposed skin. It was too much and not enough all at once.

Emma’s hands traveled low, grabbing Alyssa’s ass and squeezing tightly. Alyssa gasped at the move before using it as the encouragement she needed to start slowly rocking her hips into Emma. Something like a growl left Emma’s throat has her hands gripped tighter, urging Alyssa’s movements. Everytime Alyssa’s hips bucked up far enough, Emma could feel Alyssa’s wetness through her underwear smear against Emma’s stomach. Pair that with the small, sporadic whimpers escaping Alyssa and Emma felt her own desire growing wildly. 

As much as she wanted to watch Alyssa completely lose herself on Emma’s lap, she wanted to touch her even more. Emma hands found their way to Alyssa’s bra, and before she could ask for permission, Alyssa was nodding and Emma had the clasp undone. With the garment removed, Emma’s mouth watered as she looked at Alyssa’s bare chest in front of her. Leaning forward, Emma kissed the skin between Alyssa’s breasts before trailing her way to suck on a taut peak. 

“Holy shit, Em,” Alyssa breathed raggedly, her fingernails dragging along Emma’s scalp. 

Emma’s tongue swirled around Alyssa’s nipple a few times before she gently pulled it between her teeth. Alyssa hissed and Emma’s eyes shot up to make sure she was okay as she soothed it with her tongue. Alyssa’s eyes were screwed shut, her head thrown back, and just as Emma was about to ask if that was okay, Alyssa was pushing her chest out, seeking more contact from Emma’s mouth while her hands held Emma’s head firmly in place. Needing no more encouragement, Emma did nibbled again, being rewarded with another sweet hiss. Working her way to Alyssa’s other breast, Emma gave it similar attention, alternating between sucking and biting and soothing, drawing out a series of whimpers and hisses and moans. 

Every noise Alyssa made was like music to Emma’s ears and as the night went on she kept discovering new favorite songs.

Alyssa’s hips kept their steady, fluid movement as Emma pleasured her breasts. She felt hands loosen their grip in her hair before wandering down to the hook of her bra. Alyssa’s hazy voice came next, asking “Emma, can I?”

“Yes,” Emma mumbled against Alyssa’s skin. 

Emma flicked her tongue against Alyssa’s nipple and smiled as she felt Alyssa’s fingers falter against her bra clasp from her touch. But she quickly recovered and soon Emma’s bra was added to the pile of clothes on the ground. 

Alyssa’s hands clung to the sides of Emma’s face, holding her in place for a moment while Emma’s tongue continued to drive her wild before reluctantly separating them. Alyssa groaned when she finally caught sight of Emma’s naked chest before her. Emma almost felt shy as Alyssa’s eyes grazed her body, lingering on her breasts. Reaching out to delicately trace her hands over Emma’s torso, Alyssa whispered, “You are like something out of a dream, Emma.” 

Emma’s heart leapt into her throat. She would never get used to the way Alyssa made her feel like the most remarkable thing in the world. Her body shuddered as Alyssa’s hands slowly dragged down, only stopping once her palms covered both of Emma’s breasts. Cupping then firmly, Alyssa began to knead them, starting up movement with her hips again and keeping the two actions as a similar pace. Emma’s hands held onto Alyssa’s hips tightly, coaxing her efforts. 

Emma’s breathing grew heavy and an array of noises left her when Alyssa’s fingers pinched her nipples gently. Needing to do something, Emma tilted her head up and Alyssa met her for a passionate kiss. Not after long Alyssa’s grinding on top of Emma was grew reckless and Emma had to break apart from the kiss to watch. 

Alyssa’s eyes were heavy but she kept them locked on Emma as she continued her motion. One of her hands grasped Emma’s shoulder to keep her stable while she placed her other one on her own chest. Emma’s eyes tore away from Alyssa’s to watch as her hand moved down her chest to massage her own breast before traveling south. Emma swallowed hard, unable to believe this was really happening. As much as she wanted to reach out and replace Alyssa’s hand with her own, all she could do was watch. 

Just as Alyssa’s fingers stalled over the band of her own underwear, Emma felt the hand on her shoulder slide to the back of her neck and up into her hair. Alyssa pulled gently there until Emma’s focus was back on her eyes. She smiled softly and kept their faces close, eyes locked. Every now and again, Emma felt the back of Alyssa’s hand brush against her belly as it continued to travel down, sending little bolts of anticipation straight to her core. Still, as much as Emma wanted to see just exactly what Alyssa’s hand was doing, she was completely under Alyssa’s control. 

And then, in a move Emma hadn’t been anticipating, she felt Alyssa’s fingers press against her wetness, eliciting a strangled cry from her throat. Her hips bucked forward, desperate for more pressure from Alyssa’s fingers. Alyssa obliged, rubbing up and down Emma’s center, providing much needed friction through her panties. 

“Fuck, Alyssa, that feels amazing.”

Moaning in response, Alyssa slipped her fingers under the band of Emma’s underwear and teased at Emma’s entrance. Emma whimpered to the touch as her thighs began to shake. She already felt close and wasn’t sure she would survive anymore teasing. Luckily she didn’t have to because the next time Alyssa’s fingers dragged along Emma, she let it continue up to circle Emma’s clit, both relieving and adding to the tension already wound up tight within her. 

“Oh god, _yes_,” Emma cried, clutching at Alyssa’s back. 

Alyssa kept her ministrations, switching up pressure and movements, building Emma up as she began to jerk uncontrollably under Alyssa’s touch. Emma kept her eyes on Alyssa’s as long as she could, but as Alyssa brought her closer and closer to the edge, she couldn’t help but screw them shut as she lost herself in the moment. Her breathing was erratic, her hips couldn’t stay still, and her thighs trembled as her heat turned to fire. She was completely at the mercy of Alyssa and was thriving under the sensation. 

And then Alyssa tightened her motions, adding more pressure and speed as she uttered, “I love you, Emma” before kissing her fiercely. 

And then Emma was gone. 

White hot pleasure flashed through her body as she came under Alyssa. Alyssa wrapped an arm around Emma as her busy hand continued to tease her, dragging out her orgasm. Emma’s toes curled as pleasure rippled through her body before fading away. She slumped against Alyssa, resting her head on Alyssa’s chest and trying to steady her breathing. 

Alyssa removed her hand from Emma’s underwear and brought it around Emma to meet her other one, pulling Emma close and scratching comfortingly at her back. She placed a light kiss to the top of Emma’s head. 

After silence began to replace the gasping breaths, Alyssa stroked Emma’s hair and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Em. I kind of lost control there. I didn’t mean for that to happen before we even made it all the way onto the bed, I just-”

Emma cut Alyssa off, kissing her with purpose. “Please don’t apologize. That was… god, that was amazing. Besides, I don’t think I would’ve lasted another second longer with you on top of me being… Well, you.” Emma trailed her fingers down Alyssa’s spine, loving the way she shivered to the touch. “Besides,” Emma continued, placing a kiss under Alyssa’s jaw and letting her hands get a firm hold under Alyssa’s ass. “It’s still early.”

With that said, Emma stood up, lifting Alyssa with her. She held her tightly against her body as she turned them around, climbing onto the bed and laying Alyssa down on her back and hovering over her. Alyssa giggled before wrapping her fingers behind Emma’s neck and pulling her in and kissing her again. 

Without breaking the kiss, Emma shift on the bed, adjusting one knee between Alyssa’s thighs and bringing it up to meet Alyssa’s heat. They moaned against each others lips, Emma from how wet Alyssa was, even through her underwear, and Alyssa from primal need. 

Alyssa slid her hands between them, finding Emma’s breasts and kneading them once more. A sigh escaped Emma and she increased the pressure of knee against Alyssa for a moment, before she began kissing her way down Alyssa’s neck. As Emma made her way lower, Alyssa kept her hands firmly massaging Emma’s breasts, making it a little difficult to keep going. Grabbing Alyssa’s wrists, Emma pinned them into the mattress. Emma smiled to herself when Alyssa whined from having her hands taken away from Emma so she decided to make her whine for other reasons. 

Emma wrapped her mouth around the peak of Alyssa’s breast, sucking hard. Alyssa’s breath hitched and when Emma rolled her taut nipple under her tongue, she let out a strangled cry. 

“Emma, baby, that feels so good, but please I am already so wet,” Alyssa whimpered.

“I just want to be sure,” Emma teased, flicking her tongue over the sensitive tip.

Alyssa groaned before wriggling one of her hands free with ease, as Emma didn’t put up much resistance. Emma’s eyes grew as they followed Alyssa’s hand slipping between them and disappearing under the fabric of her panties, and moaning lightly. Emma nearly whimpered herself as she watched the movement under the fabric, envious of what it was doing. After a moment, Alyssa removed her hands and held up two fingers in front of Emma, both glistening with wetness. “Can you be sure now?”

A spark ignited in Emma as she stared at the evidence of Alyssa’s desire and when Alyssa went to rest her hand on the mattress, Emma grabbed her wrist again in a move neither of them were expecting. Emma locked eyes with Alyssa as she brought her fingers to her mouth, wrapping her lips around them. She swirled her tongue, wanting to savor it all and reveling in the taste of Alyssa in her mouth.

“Holy shit, Emma,” Alyssa breathed, 

Emma hummed as she pulled Alyssa’s fingers out of her mouth with a small _pop_. “Fuck, Lys. I want to taste more.”

“You don’t have to, Em...”

“I need to. Please?”

A low groan shuddered out of Alyssa as her hands met Emma’s at the waistband of her panties. Alyssa nodded, and then Emma was sliding them down Alyssa’s toned legs before tossing it out of their way. Alyssa’s voice came out small as she asked, “You too?”

Emma bobbed her head before scrambling out of her out underwear before resettling between Alyssa’s legs. Leaning forward, Emma kissed Alyssa, letting her body sink down, relishing in the feeling of their naked bodies flush against each other. The kiss was hungry and sloppy and short lived before Emma sat back on her knees, resting her hands on Alyssa’s thighs. 

Just as she had begun to feel like she may have been too over confident asking Alyssa if she could taste more, she found Alyssa’s eyes and instantly felt a certain calm wade into her soul. Her hands lightly brushed down Alyssa’s body as she took in how impossibly beautiful she looked lying bare before Emma. With a hand tangled in her own hair, her chest was rising and falling rapidly, marks all over her body where Emma’s lips had been, Emma had never been more in love.

Feeling more assured, Emma positioned herself between Alyssa’s legs, kissing tenderly at the inside of her thigh. She looked back up as Alyssa, who was watching her with desire, and reached down to tangle her fingers with Emma’s. Emma squeezed her hand once, holding on tightly and she leaned forward and dragged her tongue up Alyssa’s length. Emma moaned in disbelief over how she tasted even better from the source and almost missed the mumbled curse that left Alyssa’s lips. Emma licked again, letting her tongue slip in shallowly this time and feeling Alyssa’s thighs twitch in response.

Emma continued, finding a rhythm that seemed to be working for Alyssa, if the whimpers and moans were any indication. The sensation of being this intimate with Alyssa was not one Emma was fully prepared for and she loved everything about it. From the noises she could draw from Alyssa to the uncontrollable spasms to the delicious wetness now covering her mouth and chin, Emma was addicted and already looking forward to the next time.

In an experimental move, Emma dragged her tongue up to circle Alyssa’s clit before sucking it firmly.

“_Fuck_,” Alyssa cried out as her hips jerked up against Emma’s mouth. Emma went back to fucking Alyssa with her tongue, surprising her occassionally with more attention to her clit, enjoying the different ways Alyssa would react to the different ways Emma would please her. Through ragged breath, Alyssa managed, “Your tongue feels so good, baby, but I need more.”

“What do you need, Lys? I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel.”

“Your fingers, Em. I want to feel them inside me.”

Emma nodded, propping herself up a bit. Using her free hand, she ran a finger along Alyssa’s length, coating it slick before sliding it into Alyssa all too easily before adding a second.

“Oh god, Emma, yes. Fuck me like that.”

A quiver ran through Emma from Alyssa’s words. She was almost surprised by how sexy she found it when Alyssa spoke like that, telling Emma what to do to her. Not one to disappoint, Emma began thrusting her fingers in and out of Alyssa, keeping a steady rhythm. Whimpers and curses started to fill the air as Emma picked up her pace, moving faster and firmer. As new noises graced Emma’s ears, she thought back to the ones Alyssa made earlier. Wanting to see if she could combine them, Emma kept working in and out of Alyssa as she leaned down to wrap her lips around Alyssa’s clit, sucking and teasing with her tongue. 

“Oh god, oh fuck, Emma, I’m… I’m almost…”

Alyssa words morphed into a desperate cry as her walls tightened around Emma’s fingers. Squeezing the hand she was holding firmly, the rest of her writhed on the bed as Emma kept up with her motions, bringing Alyssa down as her orgasm diminished. When Emma felt Alyssa’s body still, she slowly removed her fingers and licked languidly a few more times up Alyssa’s length, not wanting to forget the taste and causing Alyssa to quiver with each lap.

It wasn’t until Alyssa tugged at her hand that Emma pulled away and crawled up the bed to lay next to Alyssa. Grabbing Emma’s face with both hands, Alyssa pulled her in for a fierce kiss before using her thumbs to wipe around Emma’s mouth. Shaking her head with an expression of awe, Alyssa said, “That was… You were… Holy shit, Em.”

“Yeah?” Emma said, feeling a little shy now that the heat of the moment was cooling.

“Yeah,” Alyssa breathed, nodding hazily. Blinking a few times, she shook her head again and leaned over to give Emma another kiss. Then, she rolled off the bed and stood up, looking around for a moment before finding a t-shirt and throwing it on.

“Oh,” was all Emma said before she also moved to get off the bed and grabbed her shirt off the ground.

“Excuse me, where do you think you’re going?” Alyssa asked, walking around the bed to Emma. She grabbed the shirt from Emma’s hands and tossed it behind her. “I’m going to get us some water, and then when I get back, I’m going to show you all the things I’ve wanted to do for you for the past couple months. If that’s okay with you?”

Emma’s mouth went dry as she nodded dumbly, weakly saying, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, wait here and don’t start without me,” Alyssa smirked before kissing Emma’s forehead and exiting through the door.

Falling back on the bed with a goofy smile, Emma said a final prayer that she would survive the night.

//

Emma groaned as she rolled over in the bed. She didn’t want to be awake, but based on the brightness of the room, she knew she should get up. With her eyes still closed, she reached her arm out and patted gently around the mattress until her hand met soft skin. Her eyes opened when she heard a faint hum, and she smiled when she was greeted with a slumbering Alyssa, laying flat on her stomach and her face half buried in a pillow. Emma gently brushed her untamed hair out of her face before leaning over to place a sweet kiss on her cheek. Alyssa instantly smiled to the touch and groggily blinked her eyes open. Humming again, she murmured, “Good morning, love.”

“Good morning, beautiful,” Emma replied, leaning on her elbow and using her hand to prop her head up. She traced her finger along the smooth skin of Alyssa’s back, drawing pictures and writing sweet nothings. “So last night was…”

Alyssa lifted her head and her eyes grew with her smile as she said, “Exceptional? Spectacular? Monumental?” She paused for a moment before adding, “Award worthy?”

Emma laughed. “I was going to say perfect, but those all work too.”

“Everything with you is perfect, Emma,” Alyssa said, leaning forward to kiss her. 

Kissing back with purpose, Emma pulled Alyssa by her hips and rolled them so Alyssa was on top of her. Alyssa buried her face in Emma’s neck, giggling against her and causing that familiar swooping feeling in her stomach, spurred even further by the feeling of Alyssa’s bare body flush against her own. 

Dragging her finger up Alyssa’s spine, Emma raised her eyebrows and asked, “So, Alyssa, what did you wanna do today?”

“Hm…” Alyssa said, a sly smirk on her lips as Emma started kissing a trail along Alyssa’s neck. “We could read.” 

“Mhm,” Emma mumbled against Alyssa’s skin.

“Or we could… go for a walk.”

Continuing her path with her lips, Emma said, “We could.”

“Or we could…” Alyssa’s sentence was broken with a moan as Emma nibbled at a particularly sensitive area. “Read.”

“You already said that one.” Emma mumbled again, amusement clear in her tone.

“Did I? Well then I guess we could…” As Emma’s lips traveled lowed, so did her hands. “We could…” Alyssa eyes closed and her breathing grew heavy as Emma’s mouth worked with her fingers to drive Alyssa’s senses into overdrive. “_Fuck_.”

“Now that’s more what I was thinking,” Emma said, teasing her with her words in tandem with her hands, now dangerously low between them. As Emma’s lips left Alyssa’s chest to find her lips and her fingers were almost where they both wanted them, a loud crash sounded from somewhere in the house.

Alyssa jumped, squealing lightly as Emma groaned, dropping her head back to the pillow. 

“I’ll go check it out,” Emma said, kissing Alyssa’s forehead before getting up and throwing on the first pair of pants and a shirt she found before tiptoeing her way down the stairs. 

At the base, she found an umbrella hanging on the coat rack near the front door and grabbed it, wielding it like a pathetic weapon. She checked the living room first, clearing it before pushing open the door to the kitchen. It also appeared empty. She was starting her way through to the next room when the door she’d just come from flew open. Startled, Emma spun around, her hand slipping and accidentally ejecting the umbrella open. 

“What the hell, Nolan?”

Lowering her weapon enough to reveal the assailant, Emma knotted her eyebrows. “Shelby? What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” Shelby said simply. “Ya know, when I told you that you could stay, I meant as a guest, not as a really poor guard dog. Oh sorry, Alyssa’s the dog, right?”

As Shelby imitated the noise she heard Alyssa make through the phone months back, Emma rolled her eyes and closed the umbrella. “How are you so sassy this early in the morning?”

“It’s a talent,” Shelby said with a shrug. “Besides, I’d hardly call 2 pm early in the morning.”

“2 pm?” Emma stammered, looking around for a clock to confirm. “Holy shit, it really is.”

“Yeah, Kaylee and I had to checkout by noon, but we stopped for lunch on the way home. Did you just wake up?” 

“Kind of...”

“What time did you even go to bed?”

Emma thought back, trying to remember. “I honestly don’t know, but now that I think about it, the room did feel like it was getting brighter right before we fell asleep…”

“Wow. I can’t believe you got laid more than I did on _my_ wedding night.”

Emma’s shoulders dropped as she let out a heavy sigh. Deciding it would be best not to fuel the fire, she did her best to ignore Shelby as she moved around the kitchen get a glass of water to take back to the room. 

“That’s a long time to go at it, but you seem to be walking fine today. Is Alyssa okay? I hope you two stretched first. Good call with the water, too. Hydration is important, especially after marathons. Classic move hooking up with the maid of honor. Where are you going? Ya know, I thought you’d be in a better mood after you two finally fu-”

Emma shut the kitchen door behind her as she left, grateful she didn’t have to hear the rest of Shelby’s rambling. 

//

When Emma got back to the room, the bed was empty. She set the waters down on the nightstand and then knocked softly on the bathroom door. After a moment of silence, Emma peeked her head in to find it empty as well. Suddenly, a breeze rushed into the room and Emma turned around to find the door to the balcony open. 

Emma found Alyssa wearing one of her comfier flannels and leaning against the railing. Alyssa’s hair was gently blowing in the wind and even from this angle, Emma could make out a tender smile on Alyssa’s face. The sight alone took Emma’s breath away and she had to lean against the door frame to keep from buckling at the knees. When Emma’s head thudded a little louder than planned, Alyssa became aware of presence. 

Flashing Emma the same tender smile she’d seen at a glance, Alyssa held out her hand to Emma. Emma of course took it and Alyssa pulled her over to join her. The two held their weight up with their forearms on the railing, the side of their arms flush against each other. Alyssa nudged into Emma before asking, “Did you take care of the big, bad intruder?”

“Of course I did. I had to keep my girl safe,” Emma said, shooting Alyssa a wink. After Alyssa tilted her head and gave Emma a look, she said, “You knew it was the girls, huh?” Alyssa nodded with a giggle. “Still, you should’ve seen me, babe. Shelby didn’t stand a chance against me and my umbrella.”

Alyssa’s head fell backwards as she laughed. “An umbrella, huh? You couldn’t find any bottles of sparkling wine lying around?”

“Damn, I really never will live that down, huh?”

Alyssa shook her head. “No, sorry. Not so long as I’m around to remind you.”

“I just wanted to make a good impression,” Emma tried with a shrug.

“On my face?”

“On your heart.”

“Well then your aim is worse than I thought.”

Emma squinted at Alyssa, twisting her mouth. Alyssa laughed again, leaning forward and kissing Emma, whose lips instantly relaxed into the gesture. Emma hummed before pulling back and saying, “God, I thought my brain stopped working the first time I saw you. The second I saw your smile, I knew I wanted to be the one to put it there everyday. It felt like my heart was pulling me towards you everytime you were near.”

Alyssa looked down bashfully, tucking her hair behind her ear. Looking back at Emma, she shook her head lightly and said, “Shelby and Kaylee had told me so much about you so I thought I was ready to be charmed by your mind and your heart, but they left out how incredibly attractive you are. When we finally met, it was so hard not to flirt with you.”

“That was you _not_ flirting?” Emma asked incredulously.

“Well, that was me trying not to flirt. You didn’t make it easy, Em.”

A blush colored Emma’s cheeks as Alyssa leaned her head onto Emma’s shoulder. Out of what almost felt like a reflex now, Emma turned to press her lips into Alyssa’s hair, leaving a loving kiss. They stayed like that for a moment more before Emma bumped her shoulder affectionately into Alyssa’s. Pointing to a spot near the lake, Emma confessed, “That’s where I first realized I wanted to kiss you.”

Pulling back, Alyssa looked at Emma with curiosity. “Really?”

“Really. Before you smashed that first egg onto my head, there was a moment when I thought…” Emma’s voice trailed off as she suddenly felt shy.

But any apprehension Emma had about her confession was washed away when Alyssa hurriedly replied, “I thought it too.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. I thought it a lot, Emma, and not just then. Other times too. But in that moment, my competitive nature won and I needed to get even,” Alyssa said playfully before her tone became more sincere and she added, “Honestly, I was so worried about crossing boundaries. I would have never forgiven myself if I had.”

Emma hummed, nodding for a moment before smiling. “But mostly the competitive nature, right?”

“Yeah, mostly that,” Alyssa laughed. 

“As much as I wish we had that extra month or so, I really feel like things worked out the way they were supposed to,” Emma said thoughtfully. “Do you?”

“Yeah, I really do. I love our story just the way it is, because it’s _us_.”

Emma let out a content sigh, speaking dreamily as she said, “I can’t believe this it my life now.”

“Hey,” Alyssa said in a playful tone. “It’s _our_ life, Em. You’re stuck with me.”

“Is that a promise?” Emma teased back.

“Yeah, it is,” Alyssa said, her tone less light and more earnest. “I promise, Emma. You’re it for me.”

Emma wasn’t sure who moved first, but the next instant they were kissing, slowly and amorously. Emma’s arms wrapped around Alyssa, holding her close as they kissed like they both knew it was just one in a lifetime full of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again so much to everyone who has stuck around for this weird concept, leaving kudos and comments. I love you all dearly and I'm gonna miss this one.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much if you've made it this far!


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